Centering culture in risk and crisis communication: Current directions and a path forward

Culture plays an important role in people’s worldviews, ultimately guiding their responses to uncertainties, risks, and crises. Despite this knowledge, risk and crisis communication research and theory underexplore the role of culture, especially for the voices of community members. In addition, non-Western perspectives remain underrepresented, leaving a gap in the field’s global relevance and utility. This essay provides a critical lens through which we can understand the current status of risk and crisis communication theories and research that center culture. We provide important critiques and a call-to-action for scholars to engage more deeply in research that invites cultural and global perspectives.

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