Primum non nocere
Physicians and Society in Europe
(18th – 20th centuries)
An interdisciplinary approach
8 – 9 September 2022, Pardubice
Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
University of Pardubice
The Department of History, University of Pardubice looks forward to welcoming you at its international conference Primum non nocere. Physicians and Society in Europe (18th to 20th centuries): an interdisciplinary approach, organized in cooperation with the Autonomous University of Madrid (Universidad Autonóma de Madrid). Between September 8–9, 2022 scholars working in different fields will explore and discuss the theme of physicians and society in a historical perspective.
The relationship between medicine, medical professionals and the society is multilayered issue that has changed throughout history and which was significantly affected by different cultural settings. This issue involve, for instance, the self-representation of physicians as well as their public image, the relationship between the state and the physicians, but also between the latter and the patients, or the use of medical arguments in public debate, in politics and in constructing individual and collective identities. The aim of the conference Primum non nocere is creating a space of interdisciplinary debate about the transformations of the place medicine and physicians have occupied in European societies during the last three centuries.
Thus, case studies from specific countries, time periods and political contexts can be enriched by comparison and transnational trends can also be identified. Such interaction creates a fruitful ground to assess the ongoing relevance of classical concepts coined by key theoreticians of history and sociology of medicine (Foucault, Parsons, Illich, Porter, Frevert, etc). Furthermore, it may lead to articulating new conceptual and methodological approaches that can help refine our understanding of the relationship between medicine, medical professionals and the society.
The conference will serve as a platform particularly for junior researchers who have not yet had opportunity for extensive interdisciplinary exchange. However, we invite both junior and senior scholars from different disciplines – history, anthropology, philosophy, sociology etc. – who in their research deal with medicine, science, relationship between doctors and patients or politics and medicine.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Physicians and patients
- Physician: authority and expertise (in public institutions, in public opinion, in the medical field)
- Medicine and politics (epidemics and ideology, governmentality, population management, social reform, medical metaphors of power)
- Physicians’ image and self-representation (press, caricatures, literature, painting, professional discourse)
- Medicine and gender
- Medical arguments in the society (hygienist movement, construction of modern subject, medicine and morals, interaction of medical discourse with religious discourses)
The conference will take place in Pardubice (Czech Republic) from 7th to 9th September 2022.
The conference strives to be a place for a discussion around shared themes and questions, not only a succession of presentations. Therefore, we invite junior and senior scholars from different disciplines - history, anthropology, philosophy, sociology etc. The call for papers is open to any academic field, provided the proposed paper is relevant to the topics described above.
The conference will serve as a platform particularly for junior researchers who have not yet had opportunity for extensive interdisciplinary exchange. We aim to create supportive and collaborative environment in which to discuss not only research results but also work in progress. Established scholars from different countries will not only present their work and discuss it but will take special care to provide feedback to the early stage researchers, in an informal, workshop-style atmosphere.
Important Dates
April 15, 2022 – Submission deadline for papers
May 15, 2022 – Notification letters
September 7–9, 2022 – Primum non nocere Conference
Do you have any questions regarding the conference?
Please contact us primum.non.nocere2022@gmail.com
We are happy to assist you!
