Sağlık Krizleri ve İşitme Sağlığı Örnekleriyle Sosyal Sorumluluk Çalışmaları

Abstract

The twenty-first century has been a period marked by numerous crises—such as wars, natural disasters, and pandemics—that have affected nature and human life in various ways, resulting in the loss of millions of lives, forced displacement, and economic collapse. Although crises affect people across all geographies without discrimination based on economic, cultural, or class differences, their impacts are experienced unequally and in different ways by various social groups. For this reason, every type of crisis necessitates both the development of context-specific strategies by each geography, society, culture, government, civil society organization, and individual to cope with crises, as well as collective action and the establishment of global solidarity networks. This necessity has also once again highlighted the importance of ensuring that all decisions made and implemented during crisis periods take into account the broader social structure they affect and are guided by the principle of social responsibility.

The fact that crises often emerge suddenly and create information gaps, thereby generating feelings of anxiety, fear, and panic among individuals and the public at large, makes it essential that crisis assessment and management be carried out with consideration for social responsibility and through the collaboration of different disciplines to develop a holistic perspective. The book you hold is an outcome of two symposiums organized by the Hacettepe University Social Responsibility Practice and Research Center, which adopted the principle of social responsibility in the context of various crises: the “Health Crises and Social Responsibility Studies” symposium held on May 21, 2024, and the symposium titled “Hearing Health for All,” organized within the scope of March 3 World Hearing Day on March 3, 2025. Through the contributions of distinguished participants from different disciplines and institutions, the book presents studies that not only highlight current issues in health crises and hearing health but also pave the way for solution-oriented approaches and collaborations. We would like to thank the Board of Directors of the Hacettepe University Social Responsibility Practice and Research Center for making both symposiums possible and for enabling the publication of this book.

The book consists of three sections. The first section, titled Health Emergencies and Case Examples, addresses past and current health-related crises experienced around the world and the social responsibility initiatives carried out during these processes. In addition, current social responsibility experiences of Hacettepe University are shared.

The second section, titled Examples from Communication and Health Sciences Perspectives, focuses on hearing health while also evaluating the role of communication efforts and ethical principles in health crises within the framework of social responsibility.

The third section, titled Certain “Vulnerable” Groups in the Field of Health and Their Needs, discusses the specific challenges and early intervention approaches related to groups such as women’s health during disaster periods, the cognitive needs of older adults, individuals with special needs, people with hearing impairments, and CODA communities. This section also presents field experiences and solution proposals addressing structural problems, with contributions from institutions and communities such as the Barrier-Free Hacettepe Community, the Association of Child Development and Educators, and the Turkish Confederation of the Deaf.

With contributions from expert academics, field specialists, and civil society organizations, the book Social Responsibility Practices with Examples of “Health Crises” and “Hearing Health” approaches health crises and hearing health from medical, ethical, social, cultural, and administrative perspectives. By offering diverse viewpoints, the book aims to foster awareness and a sense of responsibility among individuals. We hope that this work will serve as a valuable guide for healthcare professionals, academics, students, policymakers, civil society organizations, and, in short, all segments of society. We extend our sincere thanks to all contributing experts, civil society organizations, and the Hacettepe University Social Responsibility Practice and Research Center.