Video: A decolonising strategy for intercultural communication in child and family health within ethnographic research

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the use of video as a decolonising tool in ethnographic research into intercultural communication in child and family health settings. Women and children who are migrants or new arrivals to Australia continue to experience health inequities. Communication is at the heart of these problems. In the practice setting, communication is inherently difficult to critique, particularly when working with vulnerable families. We describe how video was used by the first-named author in her doctoral research exploring intercultural communication between child health nurses and mothers who were migrants or new arrivals to South Australia. In particular, we describe how the use of video becomes a decolonising strategy when the focus of critique is placed on the health professional, rather than on a parent from a potentially vulnerable group. Video enables the researcher to bridge the gap between what health professionals say they do, and what they 'actually' do in their practice.