The DISCOURSEVAX project, by adopting a social constructivism perspective and employing discourse analysis of both verbal and visual texts (spread through press, media, and academic articles) aims at discovering how discourse maintains and reinforces institutions. By using the debate on vaccination that has emerged in many European countries, this project is meant to provide both theoretical and empirical contributions to the European strategy. It aims to offer an original and innovative interpretation of this social phenomenon that has been involving organizations, institutions, and citizens. The European Commission, especially through the European Commission's Directorate for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) aims to improve the health of their citizens and to ensure the accessibility, effectiveness and resilience of their health systems. Thus, a multimodal discourse analysis will be conducted, together with interviews with experts and key players involved in the debate (e.g. leaders of the Anti-Vaccine movement and field experts such as scientists). A second analysis will be conducted at Cass Business School in London (UK) that hosts leading scholars of discourse analysis in organization studies. The DISCOURSEVAX results will be disseminated to a wide audience, including the academic community, policy makers and the general public.

Team: Elena Bruni, Renate Meyer