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Biomedicine in museums

Global developments and local specificities in the history of medicine and health

By December 10, 2008No Comments

The European Association for the History of Medicine and Health (EAHMH) invites submissions for its bi-annual meeting in Heidelberg, 3-6 September 2009. The general theme of the meeting — “Global Developments and Local Specificities in the History of Medicine and Health” — includes issues like:

  • the impact of globalisation processes (political, economic, means of communication etc.) on local ideas and practices in medicine
  • the spread of local medical ideas, practices, as well as materials (remedies, instruments, etc.) to broader national and international contexts (“travelling knowledge”)
  • processes such as the hybridisation of “local” and “global” (or more hegemonic) concepts or practices
  • the invention of (supposed) local traditions and their relations to previously transferred / migrated knowledge or practices (e.g. newly emerging “traditional medicine” in South America modelled on “alternative medicine” in Europe, or on Asian “medical systems”)
  • the interrelations between colonial powers and colonies, or former colonial powers and former colonies in the realms of medicine and public health
  • linguistic and cultural translations/adaptations of “foreign” medical concepts and practices
  • the shifting perceptions about what constitutes the centre and what the periphery of certain developments, like “innovations”
  • physicians as (global) travellers.

You can send in single paper proposals as well as proposals for sessions including at least three papers (particularly international panels; and you don’t need to be a ‘European’ to attend :-). Submit a one-page abstract for each presentation to marie.c.nelson@liu.se with a copy to volker.roelcke@histor.med.uni-giessen.de no later than 31 January, 2009. More info on www.eahmh.net soonish.

Thomas Söderqvist

Author Thomas Söderqvist

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