Multilingual and Multicultural Health Communication: Insights from Medical Anthropology and Linguistics

Abstract

The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of contemporary societies poses critical reflection on language as a culturally embedded framework that shapes and interprets the world. In the context of migration to Italy, this perspective highlights the intertwined nature of linguistic and cultural mediation, challenging health communication, particularly in multilingual medical interactions. This study integrates medical anthropology and linguistics, and focuses on the intersection between professional roles, cultural mediation, and the fluid identities of healthcare providers. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in three clinics of the third sector, two in Cosenza and one in Florence (Italy), the research combines participant observation with discourse analysis (Gee 2014) to investigate the interactional asymmetries between non-Italian-speaking patients and healthcare professionals. In these specific contexts, data collection involved recorded medical consultations and ethnographic fieldnotes. The latter became one of the primary methods of documentation, and shaped the content of the analysis, thus based on practitioners’ medical consultations given in two of the clinics, and psychological/psychiatric consultations given in the third. Active involvement with the care team provided additional insights into how cultural and linguistic mediation shapes patient access to healthcare services. The study also highlights the complexities of the interpreter’s dual role as both a cultural mediator and an observer, revealing tensions and challenges that might arise in these kinds of multilingual interactions. The preliminary findings underscore the need for a context-sensitive approach that adapts medical anthropology and linguistic analysis to the challenges of multilingual healthcare. Using a mixed-methods approach, this contribution examines qualitative data and critical reflections from the field, seeking innovative strategies for improving healthcare communication. The research reflects on professional identity’s fluidity and its implications for fostering more culturally sensitive healthcare practices. It aims to contribute to the development of integrated methodologies enhancing the quality of care for patients from diverse backgrounds.