[Discussion] CFP: Making Sense of: Health, Illness and Disease (UK) (3/11/05; 7/4/05-7/7/05)

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

4th Global Conference
Making Sense Of: Health, Illness and Disease

Monday 4th July - Thursday 7th July 2005
Mansfield College, Oxford

Call for Papers
(please cross post where appropriate)

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project aims to explore
the processes by which we attempt to create meaning in health, illness
and disease. The project will examine the models and metaphors we use to
understand our experiences of health and illness (looking particularly
at perceptions of the body), and to evaluate the diversity of ways in
which we creatively struggle to make sense of such experiences and
express ourselves across a range of media.

Papers, presentations, reports and workshops are invited on any of the
following themes;

* the 'significance' of health, illness and disease for individuals and
communities; the factors which influence our perceptions of health and
illness experiences
* the concept of the 'well' person; the preoccupation with health; the
attitudes of the 'well' to the 'ill'; perceptions of 'impairment' and
disability; the challenges posed when confronted by illness and disease;
the notion of being 'cured'; chronic illness; terminal illness;
attitudes to death
* how we perceive of and conduct ourselves through the experiences of
health and illness; the effects on our sense of identity; our
relationship with our own body; how others perceive us - family,
friends, strangers, doctors, nurses, care givers
* 'models' of the body; the body in pain; biological and medical views
of illness; the ambiguous relationship with 'alternative' medicine and
therapies; the doctor-patient relationship; the 'clinical gaze'; the
body as machine and the role of technology; the rise of genetics;
manipulation of the body - transplantation, surgery; the body as
resource; 'artificial' bodies; the impact of body 'models' on the person
* the impact of health, illness and disease on biology, economics,
government, medicine, politics, social sciences; the changing
relationship between society and medical development; the potential
influences of gender, ethnicity, and class; health care, service
providers, and public policy
* the nature and role of 'metaphors' in expressing the experiences of
health, illness and disease - for example, illness as 'another country';
the role of narrative and narrative interpretation in making sense of
the 'journey' from health through illness, diagnosis, and treatment; the
importance of story telling; dealing with chronic and terminal illness;
the 'myths' surrounding health, illness and disease
* the relationship between creative work and illness and disease: the
work of artists, musicians, poets, writers. Illness and the literary
imagination - studies of writers and literature which take health,
disability, illness and disease as a central theme

Papers are also solicited for special sessions which will be held in
common with a second research project running at the same time entitled
"Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship". Papers dealing with
issues surrounding the health impacts of technological developments are
encouraged. For example, we welcome submissions dealing with themes
exploring the notion of 'environments' (both natural, built and virtual)
as a backdrop where technologies are used through thought and action to
achieve sustainability, but where mismatches between environmental
issues and technological solutions have experienceable effects on health
which, untreated (such as non- recognition of stress, mental ill
health), result in illness. Papers could also deal with the gap between
environmental ills and technological and technical solutions, and the
possible consequent greater probability of disease and death. Holistic
solutions to health, illness and environmental issues could usefully be
explored, along with citizenship issues and access to health care.

Perspectives are sought from those engaged in;

* art and art therapy, creative writing, English literature, history of
medicine, media studies, the performing arts (dance, music, theatre),
philosophy and ethics, psychology and social psychology, social
sciences, sociology and socio-biology, theology and religious studies
* anatomy, child care nursing, clinical psychology, counselling,
gerontology, health education, health services, hospital administration,
immunology, medical and surgical nursing, medicine and the medical
sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, public health care
* practitioners in health care fields - doctors, GP's, surgeons, health
care workers, care givers, hospice workers

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts
should be submitted by Friday 11th March 2005. If selected for
presentation, 8 page draft conference papers should be submitted by
Friday 10th June 2005.

Papers should be submitted to the Joint Organising Chairs: these should
be sent as an email attachment in Word or WordPerfect; abstracts can
also be submitted in the body of the email text rather than as an
attachment.

Joint Organising Chairs

Prof Peter L. Twohig
Canada Research Chair
c/o Gorsebrook Research Institute
Saint Mary's University
923 Robie Street
Halifax, NS Canada B3H 3C3
Email: Peter.Twohig@smu.ca

Dr Rob Fisher
Inter-Disciplinary.Net
Priory House
149B Wroslyn Road
Freeland
Oxfordshire OX29 8HR
United Kingdom
Email: rf@inter-disciplinary.net

All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be
published in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers accepted for and presented
at the conference will be published in a themed hard copy volume. Two
themed volumes are in print and one themed volume is in press from the
previous conferences.

The conference is part of Inter-Disciplinary.Net's 'Probing the
Boundaries' programme of research projects. It aims to bring together
people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore
various discussions which are innovative and exciting.

For further details about the project please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/mso/hid/hid.htm

For further details about the conference please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/mso/hid/hid4/cfp.htm


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