Concepts of health and illness conference

Conference announcement and call for papers: Concepts of health and illness
1-3 September 2010, UWE, Bristol, UWE, Bristol and Lancaster University
Conference funded by the AHRC

Keynote Speakers:

Dr Jonathan Andrews (Newcastle, UK), The 'deja la' of madness? Continuities and shifts in the relationship between madness and death

Prof Baroness Ilora Finlay (Cardiff & House of Lords, UK), Fear as a key driver in the assisted suicide debate

Prof KWM Fulford (Oxford & Warwick, UK), Delusion and Spiritual Experience: Facts, Values and Concepts of Disorder in Mental Health

Prof Lennart Nordenfelt (Linköping, Sweden), The Controversy between Naturalistic and Holistic Theories of Health and Illness

Prof Fredrik Svenaeus (Södertörns högskola, Sweden), What is phenomenology of medicine? Embodiment, illness and being-in-the-world

Dr Alex Wood (Manchester, UK), Conceptions of Psychological Well-Being and Illness: Sickness, Optimal Functioning, and Authenticity

Over the past three decades, various accounts of health, illness and disease have been proposed by researchers from history, sociology, law, philosophy, public health and economics. Often, however, proponents of various accounts have been isolated within their own discipline with an apparent unawareness of competing accounts. As a result, while there are now a number of different accounts of health, illness and disease available, there is no consensus about which, if any, of these accounts is ultimately acceptable and what implications each account may have.
This three-day international conference will explore differences and overlaps between these different accounts. The conference aims to bring together researchers from multiple disciplines to create dialogue between them, as well as between researchers and healthcare practitioners, on the concepts of health, illness and disease.

We welcome contributions from any relevant discipline on any topic that falls within the broad remit of the conference title. Each paper will be allotted 20 minutes for presentation, followed by a ten-minute discussion. We aim for the conference to be inclusive and to represent a broad range of views and approaches. We particularly welcome contributions from healthcare practitioners. There will be a number of slots reserved for graduate papers and graduate bursaries will be available.

Contributions are invited for:
· Panel topics
· Individual papers
· Healthcare practitioners contributions
· Graduate papers

NB: please send us your abstract before the deadline if you require an early response. We strongly recommend this option for overseas participants who may need to book flights.
Please send proposals (500 word abstract) via email by Monday 12 April, 2010 to both organisers:Dr Havi Carel havi.carel@uwe.ac.ukDr Rachel Cooper r.v.cooper@lancaster.ac.uk

Registration

There is no registration fee and meals and refreshments will be provided during the conference. Participants who may wish to attend the conference without presenting in it are welcome to do so.

Rooms have been block-booked from the UWE Conference Centre and information on how to book accommodation for the duration of the conference will be circulated shortly.
The conference will be held at the UWE Frenchay Campus, in Bristol, UK. For maps and directions: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/aboutUWE/campus/Frenchay.shtml

This conference is part of the AHRC-funded project on the concepts of health, illness and disease.

For the project home page: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/hlss/courses/philosophy/ahrc_chid_network.shtml

Conference organisers:
Dr Havi Carel (UWE, Bristol)
http://www.uwe.ac.uk/hlss/politics/staff_hcarel.shtml

Dr Rachel Cooper (Lancaster)
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/philosophy/profiles/183/