Transcultural risk communication on Dauphin Island: An analysis of ironically located responses to the Deepwater Horizon disaster | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Erin A. Frost

Year of publication: 2013

Keywords: Transcultural communication, Risk construction, Deepwater Horizon disaster, Local and international rhetorics, Ecological and economic risk

Methodology/Sample: Content analysis/_

Reference: Frost, E. A. (2013). Transcultural risk communication on Dauphin Island: An analysis of ironically located responses to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Technical Communication Quarterly, 22(1), 50-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2013.726483

Abstract

This article uses the ironic delivery sites of rhetorics surrounding the Deepwater Horizon disaster to foreground the importance of transcultural communication in constructing risk. Whereas hegemonic entities used community centers as spaces for dissemination, local actants took up digital media. With ecocritical and ecological-economic approaches, this article uses actor-network theory and the concept of digital guerrilla media to frame risk as being produced by complex transcultural networks that take into account the importance of location

> Summary

The paper examines transcultural communication in constructing risk related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
It contrasts hegemonic entities’ use of community centers with local actants’ use of digital media.
Actor-network theory frames risk as produced by complex transcultural networks considering location.
The study highlights the importance of acknowledging diverse cultural perspectives in risk communication.

> Problem statement

The paper discusses the need for transcultural communication in constructing risk, particularly in the context of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
It highlights the risk of losing local voices in risk communication dominated by powerful entities like BP.
The authors argue for recognizing cultural influences on risk perception and communication.
There is a call for integrating diverse perspectives to better understand and address risk in communities.
The paper critiques the tendency to privilege certain rhetorics of risk over others, leading to misrepresentation.

> Methods used

The study employs actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze communication networks and the role of actants in risk communication.
It utilizes an ecocritical lens to examine ecological and economic risks associated with the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The author draws on experiential knowledge as a longtime member of the Dauphin Island community for data collection.
Transcultural analysis is applied to resituate power relations among risk communicators from diverse backgrounds.

> Practical implications

The paper emphasizes the need for technical communicators to recognize diverse cultural constructions of risk.
It highlights the ethical obligation to listen to marginalized voices in risk communication.
The study suggests that risk communication should not exist in isolation from broader social relations.
It advocates for a contextualized understanding of risk that incorporates local and global perspectives.
The findings encourage technical communicators to manage their responsibilities regarding disaster communication effectively.
The research underscores the importance of transcultural messages in risk communication practices.
The paper illustrates how local actants can utilize digital media to construct risk narratives.