MEDICA VII. International Interdisciplinary Conference People vs the Natural and the Artificial. Power relations
Time: 09-10 April 2010
Place: Tartu, Estonia

Conference Timetable

The general aim of our annual meetings has been to analyze public and self-referential representations of health and illness in various contexts and to bring together local and international scholars in order to build up a sustainable network for future discussions and co-work. The 7th conference concentrates on power relations in medical context(s). This time we particularly have papers dealing with power issues and the panel discussions are going to follow these three broad themes:

• Ethnobotanics
• Techniques and Technologies
• Illness Narratives

When they come down with an illness, people use various techniques and practices to cope with the situation. We hope to combine a critical examination of the influence of belief in fate and magic in reflexive analyses of illness images created by selves and others, and focus on the process of healing and being healed. This time the focus of various healing and coping techniques is placed on ethnobotanics: what is its significance in the current sociocultural setting and how people regard its use. Instead of viewing long lists of ethnobotanical remedies we expect to discuss how to use the gained knowledge. This discussion is connected with several ethical issues, concerning ethnobotanical fieldworks and the power of researchers. Who has the right to know and use ethnobotanical remedies: is it the layperson, the society as a whole or should it be limited to researchers, and why so?

Human societies reorganize both their surrounding environment and themselves. Our society is becoming more and more dependent on artificial constructs. There are constantly renewing techniques and technologies developed with the sole purpose of increasing human welfare. New technologies have taken on the manipulation of man’s biological body, genome and consciousness. Technological means as both an idea and practical device have strong implications for political power, individual choice, allocation of resources, fairness, justice, dignity, and the quality of life, all of which will undoubtedly lead to professional and public discourse on human enhancement and policy creation. We are going to consider the ethical and political issues raised by medical technology and human enhancement.

Despite the new advances in medicine, victories in the biomedical field and promises to design people with better qualities, people still fall ill. Illness narratives recounted in (auto)biographical essays, memoirs, belief narratives, etc., express feelings, experiences, and opinions concerning people’s health conditions in different contexts. Representations of health and illness in illness narratives deal often with power issues, such as patient vs physician, individual vs society, etc. The ideas represented in narratives are naturally affected by cultural and social norms. This leads us to contemplate the question how does one’s illness function in terms of power: is it all about being weak and vulnerable, or may falling ill be interpreted also as a tool of empowerment?

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Accommodation and participation fee

The conference sessions are held on the days 9-10 April in Tartu, at the hotell Tartu. We suggest also book your accommodation in this place.

See http://www.tartuhotell.ee/home-2

You can transfer your participation fee of 50 EUR to the following account:

Eesti Folkloori Instituut

Vanemuise 42, Tartu, Estonia

Bank: Swedbank

SWIFT: HABAEE2X

IBAN: EE032200221015667437

Please include in the explanation the name of the conference and if the transfer is not made from your personal account, also the name of the person being paid for. We also ask you to take notice that you are responsible for all transfer fees. If you wish to use the option "shared transfer expenses", please add 10 EUR to your participation fee. If you make the bank transfer less than a week before the conference begins, please take a copy of the transfer document with you.

Alternately, it is possible to pay your participation fee at the conference in cash. We would appreciate it if you let us know which option you wish to pursue.

The conference working language is English.

Conference Timetable

Have a look at what was discussed on previous Medica conferences

Please direct further enquiries to medica7@folklore.ee

The conference is organized by the Department of Folkloristics of the Estonian Literary Museum and the Estonian Folklore Institute. Organizing committee: Mare Kõiva, Piret Paal, Renata Sõukand and Kurmo Konsa. The conference is supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment

Konverentsi toetab Eesti Kultuurkapital.