The Dissemination of Health Knowledge under Authoritianiam in Taiwan: Examples from Pediatric Vaccination and Harvest Farm Magazine, 1945-1980s

This study explores the generation and dissemination of popular health knowledge using knowledge related to pediatric vaccinations available from 1945 to 1980s and health issues published in Harvest Farm Magazine under the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction as case subjects. Health information is frequently directly related to people’s lives and is inseparable from the government’s administrations and the public welfare. The government often popularizes bio-medical knowledge through health administrative units and controls “inappropriate” medical and health knowledge. Consequently, the “governance requirements of the government system” become crucial factors that affect the generation of popular health knowledge and the public. In addition, medical experts participate in the generation and dissemination of health knowledge and frequently present “correct” health knowledge in various types of works. Therefore, we employ authoritarianism or authoritarian culture to investigate medical professionals’ public advocacy of medical health and health knowledge and the adoption of media coverage as a tool for policy advocacy and knowledge introduction because of the regulated freedom of speech under the formerly authoritarian government of Taiwan. The objectives of this study are to explore the following issues against the background of authoritarian governance in Taiwan from 1945 to 1980: Who taught popular health knowledge? Who had the authority to propose health knowledge-related discourse and statements? What were the contents of this discourse or statements? What were the occasions in which this discourse or statements were proposed? What were the formats in which they were published? What knowledge did health officials and experts believe people should receive? We subsequently elucidate the relationship between texts regarding health knowledge popularization (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and books) and the propagation and dissemination or mobility of public health and vaccination knowledge. The results of this study are expected to provide recommendations for the dissemination of health knowledge in the future.

Project ID:PF10301-0301
External Project ID:NSC102-2511-S182-002-MY2