Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Fall 2006 Contagious Discourse: Germs, Mass Media, and the Shaping of Reality Amy Richardson Ballagh Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Part of the Diseases Commons Recommended Citation Ballagh, Amy Richardson, "Contagious Discourse: Germs, Mass Media, and the Shaping of Reality" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 514. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/514 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONTAGIOUS DISCOURSE: GERMS, MASS MEDIA, AND THE SHAPING OF REALITY by AMY RICHARDSON BALLAGH (Under the Direction of William M. Reynolds) ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, mass media coverage of certain infectious diseases has become more abundant. News reports of many of these contagious illnesses invoke fear in many people, such as Ebola and pandemic influenza; multidrug-resistant strains of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis; and agents of biological warfare, a concern that is now at the forefront with many Americans due to the most recent act of bioterrorism on American soil following the events of September 11th. This dissertation focuses on the American public’s perception of infectious diseases, particularly as portrayed in the cultural science curriculum. I examine the cyclic nature of the discourse of contagion and its consequences. In doing so, I present a critical analysis of who controls what is included in the discourse, how agendas contribute to what is considered important, and how various threads of the discourse intertwine to create a gestalt-like complex. With this controlled discourse in mind, I discuss how experiencing the conversation contributes to what people believe about the threat of contagion and present how these assumptions shape our perception of reality. Lastly, I demonstrate how our altered perception of reality leads to behavioral changes that alter our world. To illustrate this, I provide examples of two types of reality shifts that occurred over the past few decades: the increase in commercial antibacterial products and antibiotic use contributed to the 1 development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains (a biological shift), and the fear of weapons of mass destruction lead to increased support for a war against Iraq (a sociological shift). INDEX WORDS: Curriculum, Representation, Infectious Disease, Media, Antibiotic Resistance, Weapons of Mass Destruction 2 CONTAGIOUS DISCOURSE: GERMS, MASS MEDIA, AND THE SHAPING OF REALITY by AMY RICHARDSON BALLAGH B.S.B., Georgia Southern University, 1994 M.S., Georgia Southern University, 1997 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2006 3 © 2006 Amy Richardson Ballagh All Rights Reserved 4 CONTAGIOUS DISCOURSE: GERMS, MASS MEDIA, AND THE SHAPING OF REALITY by AMY RICHARDSON BALLAGH Major Professor: William M. Reynolds Committee: Karen Anijar Marla Morris John A. Weaver Electronic Version Approved: December 2006 5 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my friends and family who gave me constant support and encouragement as I worked toward my academic goal. Most importantly, I dedicate this to the three most important people in my life that made my success possible. To my Dad who always cheered me on and continuously reminded me how proud he was of my accomplishments. To my Mom who instilled in me a keen interest in science and public health and who always surrounds me with a mother’s love. And to Brian, my wonderful husband, who unwaveringly encouraged me to pursue my doctorate and who provides me with a foundation of support and love so that I can grow and flourish in my professional life. 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have helped me reach this point in my academic career, so I must pause to thank them. I am grateful to all of my past teachers and professors that had a profound effect on my academic career: Bill Whatley, Anne Bridgers, Dr. Sara Neville Bennett, Dr. Wayne A. Krissinger, Dr. Marla Morris, Dr. John Weaver, Dr. Delores Liston, Dr. Ming-Fang He, and Dr. Bill Reynolds. I am especially grateful to my dissertation committee for their guidance and expertise. Most importantly, I am indebted to Dr. Bill Reynolds for sharing his vision of the world and providing encouragement throughout my journey in curriculum studies. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................7 CHAPTER 1 CONTAGIOUS DISCOURSE........................................................................10 Information Leads to Change ......................................................................12 Mass-Mediated Conversation......................................................................15 A History of Contagious Discourse: 1894-1947 .........................................20 Contagious Discourse in the Age of Continuous News Media ...................30 2 A CULTURAL LENS FOR READING MASS MEDIA................................45 A Cultural Curriculum.................................................................................50 Popular Culture Production: From Creator to Text.....................................53 Popular Culture Reception: From Text to Reader.......................................60 3 DEVELOPING A CONTAGIOUS CURRICULUM......................................64 A Distorted Lens .........................................................................................65 The Scientific Agenda.................................................................................69 Writing about Science News .......................................................................74 Selecting the Science Agenda .....................................................................79 Media Proliferation......................................................................................84 4 INFECTIOUS CURRICULUM.......................................................................87 Infectious Signification ...............................................................................89 Effects of Mass Media on the Perception of Infectious Diseases ...............93 Fact versus Fiction.....................................................................................102 8 Perception of Risk .....................................................................................108 An Ebola Outbreak in the United States ...................................................110 5 A SHIFT IN GERM REALITY.....................................................................117 A Biological Shift: Antibiotic Resistance .................................................118 A Sociological Shift: Weapons of Mass Destruction................................124 Concluding Thoughts ................................................................................133 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................137 9 CHAPTER 1 CONTAGIOUS DISCOURSE In February 2003, U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison recommended a list of useful items to maintain in the home in case of a terror attack; included in this list was plastic sheeting and duct tape for sealing windows and doors in the event of a biological assault. Less than 24 hours later, stores in the greater Washington, D.C. area reported a spike in sales of plastic sheeting and duct tape (Meserve, 2003, February 11). Several hardware stores described sales of duct tape tripling, with some stores selling out of the ubiquitous tool. With the nation’s growing concern of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists, Paulison’s security advisory triggered an unexpected reaction from frightened citizens positioning themselves to ensure their own personal safety. It is relatively safe to assume that many people in the United States are constantly confronted with the topics of germs and contagion in everyday life. During a trip to the grocery store, shoppers are enticed to purchase antibacterial soaps, hand wipes, and dishwashing detergent to defend against the dangers in their own homes. Advertisements for these and other germicidal products are shown on many television stations each day, often multiple times. Newscasts lead with accounts of the Pope’s bout with the flu, vaccine shortages, and a potential disaster as a rare, deadly strain of the flu was accidentally shipped to thousands of medical laboratories across the globe in standard medical equipment test kits. Science fiction films and video games about zombie- inducing viruses are regularly released, and television dramas and documentaries about bioterrorism on American soil are familiar. Even the semantics of microbiology have spread to other parts of our culture, with computer viruses a common topic of 10 conversation. We are living in a culture of contagion – a culture where people are often paranoid of physical contact with each other, especially with strangers, for fear of contracting a disease and being