Collaboration as method in Medical Anthropology. Feminist and decolonial perspectives

Datum
23. Juli – 26. Juli 2024 

CfP for EASA’s Pan­el “Col­lab­o­ra­tion as method in Med­ical Anthro­pol­o­gy. Fem­i­nist and decolo­nial perspectives”.

„Col­lab­o­ra­tion as method in Med­ical Anthro­pol­o­gy. Fem­i­nist and decolo­nial perspectives”
EASA, Barcelona, 23–26 July 2024)
CfP Deadline:22 Jan­u­ary 2024

More Info here

Short Abstract:
What is col­lab­o­ra­tive research in Med­ical Anthro­pol­o­gy? How to have trust­ing and sym­met­ri­cal rela­tion­ships when address­ing health-relat­ed inequal­i­ties and pow­er rela­tions? From a fem­i­nist and decolo­nial approach, we dis­cuss the (im)possibilities of col­lab­o­ra­tion in Med­ical Anthro­pol­o­gy research.

Long Abstract:
Over the past decades, Med­ical Anthro­pol­o­gy has been reflect­ing on its method­olog­i­cal approach­es, espe­cial­ly in con­texts of marked inequal­i­ty and pow­er imbal­ance; as well as in con­texts where our inter­locu­tors’ sur­vival and exis­tence are at stake, and where they face suf­fer­ing and dev­as­ta­tion. How to do ethno­graph­ic research on con­di­tions of suf­fer­ing and inequal­i­ty when address­ing health-relat­ed issues with­out repro­duc­ing these conditions?
From a fem­i­nist and decolo­nial approach to research and knowl­edge prac­tices, col­lab­o­ra­tive research fig­ures as one pos­si­ble way to coun­ter­act extrac­tivist modes of field­work that feed into and per­pet­u­ate the long-last­ing matrix of pow­er. How­ev­er, if we are to engage in ‘true’ col­lab­o­ra­tion, ques­tions arise about the var­ied forms it may (and should) take. For instance, when does col­lab­o­ra­tion begin, and when and how does it end? How do dif­fer­ent forms of knowl­edge enter into dia­logue dur­ing field­work and become an inte­gral part of the research find­ings? What can col­lab­o­ra­tion look like in the con­text of aca­d­e­m­ic hier­ar­chies, espe­cial­ly when it involves ear­ly-career researchers (includ­ing stu­dents)? How can ECRs with often low paid and short-term jobs engage in time- and resource-con­sum­ing col­lab­o­ra­tion with­out increas­ing their pre­car­i­ous status?
In this round-table, we plan to crit­i­cal­ly engage with col­lab­o­ra­tive method­olo­gies which are ide­al­ly based on con­crete ethno­graph­ic case stud­ies. We aim to dis­cuss and learn from the chal­lenges of such method­olo­gies that have the poten­tial of decen­ter­ing aca­d­e­m­ic knowl­edge prac­tices by giv­ing equal room to diverse forms of knowl­edge pro­duc­tion in mat­ters of health, care, hope, body, life, and death.

Con­venors:
Han­sjörg Dil­ger (Freie Uni­ver­sität Berlin)
Lucia Mair (Uni­ver­si­ty of Vienna)

Chair:
Maria Fer­nan­da Olarte-Sier­ra (Uni­ver­si­ty of Vienna)

Feel free to email if you have any questions!

Warm wish­es on behalf of all convenors,
lucia.mair[at]univie.ac.at