Swedish network for the medical humanities

Medical humanities (MH) is an interdisciplinary field for research on the cultural and social dimensions of medicine and health.

Research within MH addresses issues such as inequality in health and medical care, disease experiences and health practices in a cultural and social context, as well as theoretical and philosophical perspectives on medical knowledge and medical practices.MH has its origins in the United Kingdom and the United States, where the field is well established at many universities and educational programs.

Since MH in recent years has increased in importance in the Swedish academic landscape, the need for a national network has become evident.

The wide scope of the field means that researchers are spread across different universities, faculties and departments, and need scholarly exchanges outside their own institutional context, in particular to build interdisciplinary collaborations.

In addition, there is a need to critically examine the relevance of MH´s focus and basic theory formation in a Swedish context where the health sector differs markedly from the anglophone world where MH first emerged.Thus, this network aims to create a sustainable structure for collaboration between researchers within MH at Swedish universities, and to formulate a common position on its focus in a Swedish context.

This will be achieved through a series of workshops with focused collaboration between the network´s members and discussion with invited international guests, which culminates in a joint scientific publication (Special issue) on MH´s role in a Swedish context.

The network thus offers a forum for younger as well as established researchers to strengthen their network across Sweden, as well as increasing the visibility of MH in Sweden.