[Discussion] HEALTH AND DISEASE IN WORLD MYTHS, SCRIPTS AND LITERATURE WAR - CALL FOR PAP ERS AND INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION”

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

HEALTH AND DISEASE IN WORLD MYTHS, SCRIPTS AND LITERATURE WAR - CALL FOR 
PAPERS AND INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION”
Literature the world over discloses significant clues for cultural 
appraisals of health, disease, life and death. World religions provide 
ample metaphors of, and give emphasis to health and disease. What can we 
learn from these sources? To what extent have they been studied with a 
view to enriching our present day understandings of health and disease? 
What are the possible ways of studying the interactions between myths, 
scripts, literature and health and illness in today’s world? Can our 
perceptions and definitions of health and disease be modified and 
improved? This session will look at analysis of significant texts, 
philosophies, scripts and art dealing with health and disease with a 
view to renew our heritage. The concept of poisons, life giving 
essences, herbs, liquids. Health and death as metaphors in literature, 
ethnography and politics. The concept of health and disease in nation 
building processes. How do written illness narratives influence oral 
illness narratives and illness experiences? Health and celebrities. This 
session will also examine how societies modify the traditions emanating 
from major texts and scripts throughout time, and develop a critical 
view on their cultural heritage. Social consequences of the collapse of 
buildings and other man-made accidents will also be examined. Please 
find updated information as regards the meeting at the IFSSH website 
http://www.ifssh.net.
The International Forum for Social Sciences and Health (IFSSH) welcomes 
applications from scholars, administrators, researchers, interested 
parties, international agencies, national and international research 
institutions and students for participation in the 2005 World Congress 
“HEALTH CHALLENGES OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM”. The 2005 World Congress 
aims to realize a universal platform for reflections and forward-looking 
discussions in all important areas that fall under the health social 
science agenda. The world congress will host workshop sessions under the 
following themes: Accidents and disabilities; Adolescent health; 
Bioethics; Bioterror and weapons of mass destruction; Child health, 
development and child rights; Health consequences of war; Communicating 
health knowledge and behavior; Controversies of diet and nutrition; 
Developing economies, migration and emerging health issues; Ecohealth: 
climate change, health consequences of environmental deterioration and 
environmental policies; Ethnobotany and healing; Giving birth: new 
meanings, new statistics; Health and disease in world myths, scripts and 
literature; Health clubs and the new aesthetics of health; Health 
equity; Health social science research methodology; Health sector reform 
and health insurance; Health, medicine and colonialism; Human rights, 
HIV/AIDS and the new epidemics; Infectious diseases; Issues in rural 
health and disease; Life styles; Living with pain; Local traditions of 
healing and shamans; New challenges: smoking, addictions and eating 
disorders; Politics of pharmacueticals; Redefining old age; Reproductive 
health; Social history of health and disease; Social science education 
for health sciences; Sociology of dental health; Suicides and cross 
cultural issues in mental health; The economics of well being; The 
future of hospitals and patient care; The psychology of violence; 
Violence as a public health issue; and Social aspects and prevention of 
world blindness. Please find updated information as regards the meeting 
at the IFSSH website http://www.ifssh.net. We invite you to join this 
interdisciplinary gathering of the experiences and perspectives of 
social scientists and health specialists for a crucial assessment of the 
human condition at the onset of the new millennium.
Prof. Dr. Akile Gürsoy
IFSSH Secretary General
Head, Department of Anthropology
Yeditepe University
Congress Correspondence:
2005 IFSSH Congress Center
Department of Anthropology
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Yeditepe University
Kay?s,dag(?,34755 Istanbul TÜRKI.YE
Tel: (+ 90) 216-578 07 27)
Fax: (+ 90) 216-578 08 99)
E-mail: ifssh.2005@yeditepe.edu.tr
ifssh@ifssh.net
http://www.ifssh.net