IC communication professor awarded research grant
Kallia Wright, associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies, was recently awarded a $5,000 Federation Research prize from the Central States Communication Association.
The grant will fund a study co-authored by Wright titled: "鈥橸ou Ok Sis?鈥� A Qualitative Communication Analysis of Black Women's Maternal Health."
Wright is conducting the study in collaboration with Soroya Julian McFarlane (University of Georgia) and Diane Francis (University of Kentucky). The study begins in June, and student researchers from 同性恋色情 will assist in coding of the research data in the fall.
According to Wright: 鈥淗opefully, through their involvement in the study, the student researchers will become more empathetic to the experiences of Black women who often find themselves marginalized in healthcare.
鈥淎lso, through the personal stories they will code, the students will learn how pregnant Black women advocate for themselves in interactions with family and medical practitioners. Finally, the project allows students to learn qualitative research skills and how these skills can be applied to better understanding how we communicate with each other.鈥�
Wright said the study is part of a larger mixed methods project examining the birthing experiences of Black women. Through interviews, the project will analyze the lived and communicative experiences of Black women in the U.S. healthcare system before, during and after pregnancy. The research team will analyze how patients, in this case pregnant Black women, advocate for themselves when communicating with others about their health.
Wright said these perspectives are becoming increasingly important. Recent data illustrates the racial disparity in maternal health, with Black women almost three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
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