Contrôler la contagion

Controlling ‘Unseen’ Contagion: Disease, citizenship and mobility

Call for Papers

10 Jul 2017, 09:00 to 10 Jul 2017, 17:00

IHR Wolfson Conference Suite, NB01/NB02, Basement, IHR, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

This one day event seeks to bring together PhD students and ECRs interested in how the movement, citizenship, and ‘prospects’ of those with unseen, or invisible, health conditions have been historically controlled.

The term ‘unseen’ can be interpreted as internal, hidden, or even transient forms of disease/disability, whether mental, physical, infectious or non-infectious.

Controls could be formal - designed by the nation-state against individuals or groups of people deemed to be a ‘threat’, or informal discriminatory practices at a ‘local’ level.

This broad scope could include curtailing mobility over local, regional or national borders; denying health, welfare, housing or employment support/rights; or restrictions placed on a person’s ‘social capital’ precluding them from socio-economic circles.

We invite proposals for 20-minute presentations on topics related to (but not limited to):

• How the state/society acted to marginalize individuals and groups showing no obvious signs of ‘impairment’.
• How proof of immunity/vaccination/recovery improved or impaired a person’s mobility, or their economic, political, and social capital.
• How risk was associated with certain groups or people; were these theories scientifically informed or culturally constructed?
• What assumptions were made in relation to conditions perceived to be self-inflicted or due to a person being in an environment unsuitable for their ‘racial profile’?
• How did the state reconcile commercial and public health considerations?
• How the larger community dealt with the lack of official intervention against the invisible contagious types.
• Has disease-status made discrimination against afflicted groups more politically and socially acceptable? 

There are no restrictions on chronological or geographical focus.

We aim to offer a collegial, informal atmosphere enabling junior scholars to be given valuable feedback on their work.

Refreshments, lunch and a wine reception will be provided. We hope to offer a number of bursaries to assist with travel costs.

Please send a short abstract (250 words) and a CV (1 side A4) to Jennifer.Kain@sas.ac.uk and Kathryn.Olivarius@sas.ac.ukby Monday 29 May 2017.