In 2017 the biannual conference of EASA Medical Anthropology Network will be hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, with the prospect of promoting a compact encounter with more plenaries and less parallel sessions. The purpose is to maximize the interweaving of our experiences and understandings across the different niches and orientations within medical anthropology and in exchange with neighboring fields; we hope that bringing back plenary sessions creates room for unpredicted synergies. Around 120 medical anthropologists from around the globe will meet at the University of Lisbon to debate current research and developments and discuss the field’s contribution to gain a broader and deepened understanding of the conference’s overarching topic.

Presentation

In 2017 the Biannual Conference of EASA Medical Anthropology Network will be hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, with the prospect of promoting a compact encounter with more plenaries and less parallel sessions. The purpose is to maximize the interweaving of our experiences and understandings across the different niches and orientations within medical anthropology and in exchange with neighboring fields; we hope that bringing back plenary sessions creates room for unpredicted synergies. Around 120 medical anthropologists from around the globe will meet at the University of Lisbon to debate current research and developments and discuss the field’s contribution to gain a broader and deepened understanding of the conference’s overarching topic.

We chose the ubiquitous theme of the body, qualified in its transitional, mobile, itinerant and dynamic character. We welcome panel and paper proposals addressing different understandings of transition – historical processes, colonial encounters, displacements, migrations, social mobility, cyborg and post-human transformations, environmental variances and, last but not least, the multiple dynamics of embodiment – keeping in mind the centrality of power and knowledge as meaningful and critical axes of medical anthropology approaches to body and health. In particular, the ideas of bodies and transition cannot be disjointed from the larger concept of power and knowledge. How do different powers (state, institutions, movements, individuals) and at different levels (inter and trans-national, national, local) act, interact and/or counteract in the construction of the bodies? And how may knowledge play a role in these dynamics?

Starting from the fundamental notion in medical anthropology that it is ‘good to think with the body’ we open many past, current and future fields by critically reflecting why our human body represents so many different meanings, roles, constructions, interpretations and subjectivities. Humans ‘speak’ with pregnant, aged, tortured, modified, disabled, infected and gendered as well as with beautiful, charming and well-toned bodies, but they epitomize all the pervasive nexus of culture and biology. Moreover, women’s and men’s body exerts intrinsically powerful qualities: Whether a body is healthy or ill, strong or frail, provides care or needs care – it matters in its conjunction with other bodies and minds. Nevertheless, these ascriptions and perceptions are never static and fixed attributes, their transitional and casual nature in inter- and intracultural perspective will certainly shape the conference’s theme of ‘bodies in transition’.

Panel proposals

Panel proposals should consist of:

• Panel title, short abstract (up to 50 words), long abstract (up to 300 words)
• Name and e-mail of panel proponent with institutional affiliation

All proposals should be submitted by electronic mail to the conference secretariat: medanthlisbon2017@gmail.com

Panel proponents should note that:

• Every panel shall have one coordinator and, if needed, a co-coordinator;
• Proponents shall coordinate one panel only; they can, however, serve as co-coordinator in a second panel. 

Deadline for panel proposals: February 15^th, 2017.

Panel proposals will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and the list of panels accepted will be announced on March 1^st, 2017.

Scientific Committee

• Pino Schirripa (Sapienza – UniRoma)
• Piet van Eeuwijk (ISA-UniBasel, Swiss TPH)
• Margret Jaeger (SFU Linz)
• Natashe Lemos Dekker (UvA)
• Susanne Ådahl (Humak)
• Cristiana Bastos (ICS-ULisboa)
• Clara Carvalho (CEI/ISCTE-IUL)
• Elizabeth Challinor (CRIA/UMinho)
• Francesca De Luca (ICS-ULisboa)
• Elsa Lechner (CES-UC)
• Chiara Pussetti (ICS-ULisboa)
• Maria Manuel Quintela (ESEL, CRIA/ISCTE-IUL)
• Clara Saraiva (CEC/FLUL, CRIA/FCSH-NOVA)