Research on Knowledge Archaeology in the Discourse Transformation of China's Autonomous Health Communication Knowledge System

Abstract

Health communication research, rooted in Western academic traditions, boasts a multidisciplinary presence within scholarly dialogue. Within the Chinese scholarly milieu, this field has progressively assimilated, adapted, and reshaped theories, fostering the contextualization of discourse categories and the invigoration of theoretical frameworks. This study adopts a knowledge archaeology approach, with a focus on hospital-related issues, to reconstruct the historical evolution of health communication discourse in China. The investigation reveals a shift in the Chinese discourse—from an initial politically-charged 'health propaganda' to a practice-oriented 'health education' emphasizing health intervention outcomes. Further evolution, spurred by new media advances and local medical system reforms, has seen this discourse morph into 'health communication,' a hybrid of political and professional elements. Establishing a localized academic knowledge system in health communication necessitates an emphasis on practical health communication domains, such as hospitals, a deeper engagement with regional issues, and the significance of cross-disciplinary research endeavors.