The influence of Quality-of-Life Orientation on Recovery College advertising: A Dutch-English-Japanese corpus-based comparison
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Background
Recovery Colleges (RCs) aim to democratise mental health support through co-produced education. While increasingly adopted worldwide, their public-facing communications may reflect culturally specific values.
Aim
This study examined (a) the textual emphases in how RCs are presented to the public in the Netherlands, and (b) how the cultural dimension of Quality-of-Life Orientation is reflected in these texts, through comparison with those from England and Japan.
Methods
Promotional texts (3,445 words) from 25 Dutch RCs were analysed using corpus-based discourse analysis (Wordlist, Word Sketch, and Keywords) and compared to existing corpora from England (61 RCs; 22,014 words) and Japan (13 RCs; 813 words). Interpretations were informed by Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory.
Results
Dutch RC texts foregrounded recovery as a personal yet socially contextualised process, emphasising agency, vulnerability, and participation in society. Unlike English RCs, educational terminology was largely absent, and the concept of “academy” or “meeting place” was prominent. Compared to the individualised framing in England and the collectivist emphasis in Japan, Dutch RCs represented a midpoint, highlighting recovery in everyday life and reflecting a culturally embedded Quality-of-Life Orientation.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that cultural orientations shape the language of RC advertising, which may influence public expectations and, in turn, how RCs are understood and operated. Such dynamics are important to consider in international RC development and cultural adaptation, to ensure culturally resonant communication and engagement.
