Anat Gesser-Edelsburg

The Paradox of Realism and “Authenticity” in Entertainment-Education: A Study of Adolescents' Views About Anti-Drug Abuse Dramas

The successful use of drama as a vehicle to influence health-related attitudes and behaviors is credited to its ability to elicit an emotional experience and identification among audience members. This study investigated the views of adolescents regarding an entertainment-education (EE) component of their schools anti-drug program—a live performance of a professionally produced anti-drug abuse drama. The analysis draws mainly on data collected from 64 focus groups, conducted in 24 schools across Israel, and open-ended responses to questionnaires administered to more than 1,700 adolescents. The adolescents were generally entertained by the anti-drug abuse drama and moved by its “authenticity,” which emerged as a central construct in this study. Yet only a fraction identified with the characters and many remained unwilling to “tell” on a friend who uses drugs. Drawing on these findings, implications to EE theory and practice are discussed, particularly as they relate to the dramas perceived realism or “authenticity,” and its unintended effects.

What does the public know about Ebola? The public's risk perceptions regarding the current Ebola outbreak in an as-yet unaffected country

BACKGROUND The unexpected developments surrounding the Ebola virus in the United States provide yet another warning that we need to establish communication preparedness. This study examines what the Israeli public knew about Ebola after the initial stages of the outbreak in a country to which Ebola has not spread and assesses the association between knowledge versus worries and concerns about contracting Ebola. METHODS Online survey using Google Docs (Google, Mountain View, CA) of Israeli health care professionals and the general public (N = 327). RESULTS The Israeli public has knowledge about Ebola (mean ± SD, 4.18 ± 0.83), despite the fact that the disease has not spread to Israel. No statistically significant difference was found between health care workers versus non-health care workers in the knowledge score. Additionally, no statistically significant association was found between knowledge and worry levels. The survey indicated that Israelis expect information about Ebola from the health ministry, including topics of uncertainty. More than half of the participants thought the information provided by the health ministry on Ebola and Ebola prevention was insufficient (50.5% and 56.4%, respectively), and almost half (45.2% and 41.1%, respectively) were unsure if the information was sufficient. CONCLUSION The greatest challenges that the organizations face is not only to convey knowledge, but also to find ways to convey comprehensive information that reflects uncertainty and empowers the public to make fact-based decisions about health.

A qualitative study of adherence to nutritional treatment: perspectives of patients and dietitians.

Background Effective interaction between care providers and patients is crucial for the success of most medical treatments; in nutritional medical treatment, it is of paramount importance. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the role of the dietitian–patient relationship and the counseling approach in influencing individual patient decisions to adhere to counseling by persisting with nutritional treatment. Methods We conducted focus groups with two types of patients, namely, those who had consulted dietitians only once and those who had attended at least three appointments. We divided these two groups into 12 focus groups. In addition, in-depth interviews were held with 17 clinical dietitians. Our qualitative research was based on the perceptions of patients and dietitians. Results When the encounter between the dietitian and the patient followed the standard educational and informative approach, both the short-term nature of the interaction and the absence of an individualized therapeutic program discouraged patients from persisting with treatment. In contrast, the counseling and therapeutic nutritional approach promoted nutritional guidance through broader behavioral and lifestyle therapies. This approach appears more appropriate for chronically ill patients. The dietitians and some of the patients understand that the profession is changing from the informative and educational approach to a therapeutic counseling approach, but it is difficult for them to adapt to the new model. Conclusion Most patients appear to want individualized, not standardized, treatment. In order to change patients’ eating patterns, dietitians must adopt a more therapeutic approach and relate to patients’ cultural needs and desires to achieve sustainable results.

Why do parents who usually vaccinate their children hesitate or refuse? General good vs. individual risk

This study examines vaccination hesitancy or refusal following the 2013 polio outbreak in Israel, based on two theoretical models. The first is Sandman’s theoretical model, which holds that risk perception is comprised of hazard plus outrage. The second model is the affect heuristic that explains the risk/benefit confounding. It aims to expose the barriers that inhibited parental compliance with OPV vaccination for their children. The study employed mixed methods – a questionnaire survey (n = 197) and content analysis of parents’ discussions in blogs, Internet sites, and Facebook pages (n = 2499). The findings indicate that some parents who normally give their children routine vaccinations decided not to give them OPV due to lack of faith in the health system, concerns about vaccine safety and reasons specific to the polio outbreak in Israel. Some vaccinated due to a misunderstanding, namely, they believed that OPV was supposed to protect their children, when it was actually for overall societal well-being. This study highlights the difficulty of framing the subject of vaccinations as a preventive measure, especially when the prevention is for society at large and not to protect the children themselves. The findings of this study are important because they provide a glimpse into a situation that can recur in different places in the world where a disease considered to have been ‘eradicated’ returns, and the public is required to take measures which protect the public but which might put individuals at risk. The conclusions from the analysis of the findings of this study are that the public’s risk perception is based on a context-dependent analysis, which the communicating body must understand and respect.

Enhancing the persuasive influence of entertainment-education events: rhetorical and aesthetic strategies for constructing narratives

Abstract The present article presents a rhetorical and aesthetic framework to create an entertainment-education (EE) narrative with high potential for persuasive influence. The researchers introduce the notion of an ‘EE event’ and its ‘change potential’, proposing three different models – the reinforcement model, the change model and the entrenchment model – to understand how certain narrative mechanisms influence the change potential of an EE event. The four narrative mechanisms under consideration include 1) dialogue between EE text and audience members; 2) audiences’ emotional involvement with text; 3) audience members’ trust in the veracity of the text; and 4) audience members’ catharsis and transformation. The narrative mechanisms operating in each model are illustrated by an analysis of audience responses to an EE text. The researchers conclude by presenting a rhetorical matrix to empirically analyse the narrative mechanisms and change potential of EE events.

Laypeople's Ethical Concerns About a New Israeli Organ Transplantation Prioritization Policy Aimed to Encourage Organ Donor Registration among the Public

A new policy recently enacted in Israel promises preferred status in receiving organs for transplantation to individuals who register to be organ donors and to their close family members. Proponents believe it will increase the supply of organs for transplantation from the deceased. Ethical issues were raised in government committees appointed to discuss the policy before its approval, but discussions among laypeople were not solicited. This study aimed to elicit laypeoples views about the policy by conducting thirteen group interviews and thirty-six individual interviews. Participants included religious and nonreligious people, immigrants, and Arabs. Some participants thought the law would contribute to fairness by prioritizing those willing to give, but others articulated ethical concerns that were not emphasized by scholars, in particular that the policy would add to the erosion of social solidarity, increase divisiveness, and enable people to abuse the system. Mistrust in the health care system emerged as a prominent reason for not registering as an organ donor. Implications about the importance of transparency in the organ transplantation system as a basis for an information campaign, social norms regarding organ donation, and the publics involvement in policy issues on organ donation are discussed.

Paradoxical Outcomes in an Educational Drama about Gang Rape: Ethical Responsibilities of Practitioners and Educators.

Educational drama has been embraced as a promising way to address sensitive and highly-charged issues among youth. An Israeli drama, Backyard Games, about gang rape, based on an actual case in a kibbutz [a communal settlement] called Shomrat, is considered the definitive work on the subject in Israeli theatre. Written by Edna Mazya and directed by Oded Kotler, at the Haifa Municipal Theatre, the play was inspired by the real-life story of a famous rape at Kibbutz Shomrat. The play has been performed more than 1,000 times throughout Israel,1 embraced by critics and audiences and has had successful runs in several other countries. Since the play debuted, Edna Mazya has become a sought-after and successful playwright and director in the Israeli repertory theatre. The play has also been performed in numerous high schools for student audiences as part of an educational effort to raise awareness regarding the issue of rape. Backyard Games is a rhetorically and aesthetically powerful performance that engages and stimulates its young audiences. However, an analysis of the script and performance indicate that its ultimate effect upon the audience is counterproductive to its educational and consciousness-raising goals. Paradoxically, the play, which is meant to counter sexual stereotypes and gender-related violence, has been found to reproduce them. An analysis of the dramas aesthetic reveals that through the use of language and staging, it creates a highly-sensual and male-oriented stimuli that reinforce a prevailing male view of adolescent boys as sexual beings in need of an outlet, in whatever way possible, and, on the other hand, adolescent girls are viewed as provocative victims. Empirical data based on responses to the drama from 617 high school students support this analysis. The discussion raises questions regarding the ethical responsibilities of creators, producers and of the educational organisations that utilise the play for educational purposes.

Entertainment‐education: dilemmas of Israeli creators of theatre about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in promoting peace

Israeli–Palestinian peace is promoted through political and diplomatic channels, as well as indirect channels such as conferences, lectures, meetings, workshops and political journalism. However, there is less awareness of the extensive artistic activity in Israel surrounding peace and its implications for society, or of the uniqueness of the theatrical medium as a public medium that allows its viewers and participants to clarify their conflicts and positions related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. As part of a large and comprehensive study of plays about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict (which included mapping out and analyzing the themes of 37 plays about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict between 2005–2007, and checking the impact of some of the plays on teenage audiences), this study focused on Israeli theater creators who deal with the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The goal was to specify the models, issues and strategies the creators used in plays about the conflict in order to influence viewers’ positions. This article represents the findings of the analysis of 26 in‐depth interviews with various creators (playwrights, directors and actors), who intended their plays to be seen by adult and high school audiences. The findings discuss the ideological, ethical and pedagogical dilemmas as well as the strategies they used to build texts meant to influence their viewers, and which distinguish dramatic works that educate for peace.

Alcohol Consumption Among Arabs in Israel: A Qualitative Study

Background: The Israeli society is a unique setting in which the Arabs are exposed to western alcohol consumption norms while living in Arab communities where alcohol consumption is not accepted. Objectives: To characterize Arab Muslim, Druze and Christian alcohol consumption behaviors and contingencies while being exposed to western style alcohol consumption. Methods: This study was a phenomenological qualitative study interviewing six focus groups and 13 individual Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze. Themes and categories were identified using qualitative methodology analysis. Results: Two concurrent contingencies exist for Arab Muslim men: on the one hand they describe pressure to drink because of social norms, and on the other hand they are reprehended for drinking, because of the religious interdiction. Therefore, they hide their drinking in secluded places. In addition, participants reported more heavy drinking among Muslim Men. Arab Christians reported drinking openly especially among men. Women do not drink and are looked down upon if they drink. Drinking may be viewed as a stage in life that a Muslim boy or young man goes through, he is expected to grow out of this stage and stop drinking while becoming religious. Conclusions/importance: Due to Muslim laws prohibiting alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption is not high, however it does exist especially among young men and when they drink they tend to drink heavily, more than the Arab Christians. Therefore, there is a need for interventions targeting younger Muslim men, to establish moderate drinking behaviors, if they chose to drink.

Science vs. fear: the Ebola quarantine debate as a case study that reveals how the public perceives risk

This study focuses on newspaper coverage of the Hickox quarantine incident, using it as a case study to examine how the media characterized the spread of disease in an ongoing crisis situation characterized by uncertainty. The study builds on Slovic et al.’s research, who argue that risk perception is comprised of both emotional and analytical aspects. We employed a qualitative approach, first examining articles on Hickox’s story in The New York Times and New York Daily News between October 25 and 31, 2014; and second, readers’ comments in response to these articles. The findings from the newspaper articles show that in their treatment of the quarantine debate, the media did not address the issue of uncertainty, and thus continued the health authorities’ neglect of this issue. Although the media gave expression to various sides of the debate, it emphasized those who objected to the quarantine policy, thus raising the claim that the conflict was between ‘science’ and the public’s ‘irrational fears,’ and that the governors decided on quarantine in response to the public’s panic and fears. From our analysis of readers’ comments, it appears that these claims are unjustified. First, we found that the public did not speak in a single unified voice, but rather, was divided into supporters and opponents of quarantine. Both sides used scientific arguments and resorted to similar terminology, and tended to cite and present studies backing their arguments. As for irrational fears, although quarantine supporters expressed emotions, they indicated mainly concerns, not panic or hysteria.