****************************************************** * http://www.anthropologymatters.com * * A postgraduate project comprising online journal, * * online discussions, teaching and research resources * * and international contacts directory. * ****************************************************** > > Dear all,Here is aCALL FOR PAPERS10th EASA Biennial Conference > Ljubljana, SloveniaAugust 26-30, 2008***From medical pluralism to > therapeutic plurality: medical anthropology and the politics of > diversity, knowledge, and experience from multiple > perspectives*ConvenorsLeonardo MenegolaUrÅ¡ula Lipovec Ä?ebron > (Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Ljubljana) > <ursula.lipovec%40gmail.com Clara Saraiva (Institute for Scientific > Tropical Research)<clarasaraiva%40fcsh.unl <leonardo.menegola% > 40gmail.com > > Short AbstractThis workshop will explore the tensions and > complementarities between biomedicine and 'other' medicines, and > the ways in which social representations and cultural constructions > embedded in the encounters between "the West and the Rest" migrate, > transform, or collide at the intersections of emergent scenarios of > contemporaneity. We will outline dynamics of exclusion and > inclusion between biomedical and alternative practitioners of > healing. We will examine the interactions occurring betweendistinct > discursive practices and systems of meaning relating to symptoms, > illnesses, models of affliction and wider socio-moral notions of > personhood and the Self. We will focus on the embodiments, > feelings, and sensations through which people make sense of > suffering, illness, and healing, and onthe political and > performative meaning of such experiences. We will explore the > strategic references made to "experience" by non-hegemonic > medicines that rely on the creation of experiences of > intersubjectivity and mutuality between healers and patients. > Long AbstractThis workshop will explore different aspects of the > tensions andcomplementarities between biomedicine and 'other' > medicines. Through ethnographic evidences, we will contribute to > the study of diverse practicesof suffering and healing by focusing > on how social representations andcultural constructions embedded in > the encounters between "the West and theRest" migrate, transform, > or collide at the intersections of emergentscenarios of > contemporaneity. At the crossroad of medical pluralism > andtherapeutic plurality, human experiences, social > representations, andculturally embedded practices linked to > "suffering" will reveal a vastethnographic territory, across which > migrational processes will constituteone among the transversal > concerns of this workshop.We will outline dynamics of exclusion and > inclusion between biomedical andalternative practitioners of > healing in contexts of education andassociations; and within > processes of legalization in institutionalpractices and formal > professionalization. We will examine the interactionsoccurring > between distinct discursive practices and systems of meaningâ?? > ascarried out and reproduced by different social actorsâ??to > investigatesocially relevant ways in which diverging, pre- > established schemes andrepresentations interact with reference to > symptoms, illnesses, models ofaffliction and wider socio-moral > notions of personhood and the Self. Bylooking at the embodiments, > feelings, and sensations through which peoplemake sense of > suffering, illness, and healing, we will focus on the > political and performative meaning of such experiences as forms of > resistance, opposition, defence from systems of hegemony, and on the > politically authorized, socially recognized ways of performing both > sufferance and healing. We will explore the strategic references > made to > "experience" (e.g. through the mundane world of sensing) by non- > hegemonic > medicines that rely on the creation of experiences of > intersubjectivity andmutuality between healers and patients.Section > 1: Cultural Diversity as Knowledge and PracticeThis section deals > with the biomedical discourse on diversity andcross-cultural > communication and, at the same time, the absence ofdiscussion on > underestimated aspects of this relationship. By focusing onthe > building of knowledge and the articulation of criteria of efficacy > (clinical trials, standardization and quality control of other > "traditional"medicines,) we will explore the social use of > diversity in public healthpolicies, and we'll explore the > boundaries between culture and affliction byanalyzing the > articulation of different therapeutic theories and practicesamong > multiple social actors.Section 2: Politics and Challenges of > IntegrationThis section introduces a critical medical > anthropological discussion ofvarious concepts of medical pluralism, > and aims to draw ethnographicevidence on the ways in which > biomedicine can coexist and/or interweave withother medicines. From > both an applied and a theoretical perspective, theanalysis will > mainly focus on different strategic perspectives of actors > andinstitutions involved, such as: users, complementary and > traditionalhealers, medical professionals, health-care > institutions, insurancecompanies, etc, as well as on the complexity > of their mutual relationshipsin various ethnographic contexts, > especially in Latin America.Section 3: The Medical Anthropology of > "Experience:" Illness, Suffering,HealingThis section will explore > the socio-political meanings of "experience" indifferent contexts > of medical hegemony and pluralism. "Experience"identifies and > differentiates both suffering and healing practices; itenters > mechanisms of efficacy, apparatuses of techniques and the > practicalknowledge required to administer them. We will examine > "who" experiencessuffering, unease, processes of healing; "who or > what" manages or interpretssuch experiences and administrates the > dynamics of cure; and how social andmedical systems locally > structure (translate, legitimize, reshape, deny)particular facets > of experience.Section 4: Round Table: Healing as Plurality, > Politics, and ExperienceThe discussants, Chairs, and convenors of > the workshop will partake in afinal Round table. The discussion > will address "diversity" in its medical > anthropological declination, both as migration of particular > individuals andgroups, and as encounter (hybridization, borrowing, > translation, struggle)between different practices of suffering and > healing. We will gaze atcultural diversity and medical pluralism > through a multiple perspective andthreefold socio-cultural lens: as > a cultural construction, as a socialstrategy, and as a political > performance. We will adopt multipleperspectives (e.g. focusing on > institutions, cultural heterogeneity, and theparticularities of > experiences of falling sick, being ill, returning to a'sense of > ordinary life'). We will thus contribute to the social andpolitical > analysis of the epistemological heterogeneity of sociallyco- > habiting healing systems, issues of therapeutic (or scientific) > efficacy,and dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion. Finally, > we will reflect onthe epistemological challenges of an increasingly > "pluralist" MedicalAnthropology, where plural scenarios and objects > give way toplural-synthetic conceptual frameworks and methods. > *Chair*: Melissa Park, Chiara Pussetti, and Carlotta Bagaglia > *Discussants*: Mariella Pandolfi (UQAM), Galina Lindqvist (Stockholm > University) and Dough Hollan (UCLA)Papers should be proposed using > the online form (see > http://www.nomadit.co.uk/easa/easa08/paperproposal.php5?PanelID=364) > You can access this workshop and the link for proposals directly at : > http://www.nomadit.co.uk/easa/easa08/panels.php5?PanelID=364Please > forward this to anybody likely to be interested!Further information > Leonardo [log in to unmask] > ************************************************************* * Anthropology-Matters Mailing List * * To join this list or to look at the archived previous * * messages visit: * * http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/Anthropology-Matters.HTML * * If you have ALREADY subscribed: to send a message to all * * those currently subscribed to the list,just send mail to: * * [log in to unmask] * * * * Enjoyed the mailing list? 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