Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Linda Susan Sprague-Martinez, Ph.D., Boston University, Charles River
Rosalyn Negrón, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston
Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Sc.D., M.D., College of Public and Community

Description

Part of NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) webinar series, “The Cultural Framework for Health—New Approaches.”

The Aqui Lá project, supported by the OBSSR and the NIH's National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, works with a multilevel framework to conceptualize the impact of culture and transnationalism on health. Aqui Lá, meaning Here and There, is the story of many Brazilian and Dominican transnationals who are living emotionally, socially, and, in some cases, physically between two nations. We explore the notion that health behaviors and attitudes are influenced by both transnational and local ecologies.

To explore the multiple levels shaping culture among Brazilian and Dominican transnationals, our interdisciplinary team employed several data collection methods. During cultural conversations, steeped in critical pedagogy, participants explored attributes of the cultures they belong to, and engaged in lively discussions about shared experiences of cultural adaptation, transnational practices, and health concerns. Egocentric social network interviews allowed us to visualize and explore socially grounded practices which included transnational movement and activities, individual and group-level performance of cultural beliefs and behaviors, and interpersonal influences on health beliefs and behaviors.