Ph.d.-prøveforsvar, Maja Nordtug

Ph.d.-prøveforsvar ved Ph.d.-studerende: Maja Nordtug

Ph.d.-prøveforsvaret vil blive afviklet via digital forbindelse

“Media use and health decisions” is an empirical study of Danish parents’ decision making on a health topic subjected to controversy, namely HPV vaccination. The study builds on interviews with 18 parents of girls aged 10-13 years old who were faced with making a decision about the vaccine. Through a media participation framework, the study explores how laypersons are positioned in terms of power in their engagement with digital media on the subject of HPV vaccination. The methodological framework is inspired by Situational Analysis, and the project introduces an interview technique called messy map interviews, which aims to prioritize interviewees’ perspective within this framework. The empirical findings are twofold. First, based on a mediatization and responsibilization framework, the study explores how Danish parents’ perception of responsibility for understanding information about HPV vaccination is related to their participation in regards to the vaccine. Second, founded in the notion of literacy, I study how parents define being competent decision makers, and how they apply digital technology in their struggle to become competent decision makers.