Research directions
Infant vaccine hesitancy as a health practice.
This research axis is the focus of my thesis, aiming to study vaccine hesitancy as a 'social practice' embedded within specific contexts, particularly regarding gender, and socio-economic status. Grounded in the theory of social practices (Reckwitz, 2002; Blue et al., 2016), this research explores the significance individuals attribute to their health practices within specific contexts.
My thesis work delves into parental health practices and their hesitancy regarding vaccinating their children. Through unstructured interviews, I gathered rich and nuanced perspectives from 19 parents. What sets my work apart is the use of a critical approach to health that I applied in the research and data analysis. The critical approach in psychology questions the social and political structures influencing thought and practices by examining power systems and inequalities. It provides an alternative perspective to traditional psychology by encouraging critical analysis of cultural norms and social contexts shaping individual experiences. This critical approach to vaccine hesitancy allows for the exploration of societal discourses underpinning the meanings parents attach to health and vaccination.
The outcomes of my work are expected to shed light on the development of targeted communication strategies and critical interventions aimed at addressing vaccine hesitancy in Switzerland.
Digitalisation of health
This line of research, which began during my Master's internship and was consolidated when I was awarded a Mobi.Doc grant (February to July 2024), explores the growing impact of technologies on our health practices.
On the one hand, it was based on my participation as a research intern in the SNSF SPARK programme (Healthvlogging , PIs : Prof. María del Río Carral and Prof. Daniel Gatica-Pérez) aimed at analysing the health content disseminated by lifestyle YouTubers. The results revealed the promotion of an individualistic vision of health, encouraging constant self-improvement, emphasising the role of individual change and downplaying the structural and societal aspects of well-being.
On the other hand, this theme broadened thanks to the Mobi.Doc grant, which focuses on the analysis of online advice given by new parents on infant sleep. This project considers the impact of socio-cultural contexts on babies' sleep habits and studies the increasing use of digital tools, such as monitoring devices, in managing infant sleep despite recommendations against their use by the American Association of Paediatricians due to a lack of evidence on their effectiveness and safety.
In this way, this line of research contributes to a better understanding of the increasingly profound implications of technologies in our healthcare practices.
