RN16 - Sociology of Health and Medicine

European Sociological Association Research Network 16 (RN16) Sociology of Health and Illness

Mid-Term Conference Health and health care in Europe: between inequalities and new opportunities

The conference is organised by RN16 and hosted by Jagiellonian University, Kraków Poland 17-19 February 2021. It will be a virtual online conference.

All details are on conference website: rn16midterm.confer.uj.edu.pl and below

Keynote speakers: Piet Bracke - PhD, Professor of Sociology, Ghent University, Belgium and Zofia Słońska – PhD, Instytut Kardiologii, Warszawa, Vice-President European Society for Health and Medical Sociology (ESHMS).

We plan to make the conference full of inspiring presentations, relevant discussions and lively networking opportunities. We are planning a Special Issue of a journal from the conference.

Health is one of the most important goods for individuals and societies. That is why discussion about health and health care should be treated as crucial. The goal of our conference is to gather together scholars who are conducting research in the field of health and health care. We are going to tackle problems of inequalities and focus on new opportunities for addressing them. Sociology has been concerned with inequality from its very beginnings. Inequality means the uneven distribution of goods. One of the most important goods is health, but social factors such as education, employment status, income level, gender, ethnicity, and age influence health status and access to care. The task of policy makers is to reduce inequalities, which means giving everyone the same opportunities to lead a healthy life. But the task for sociologists is to research and explain what does, or could, cause inequalities and to propose solutions. We know that education, employment status, income level, gender and ethnicity and other factors have a great impact on life expectancy and quality of life. In modern Europe all these social factors are fueled by migration, political tribulations and the neoliberal economy. Value crises, risk, and individualism do not help. Developments in medicine, in medical technology and biotechnology, new treatments and new procedures, and many other things which become an opportunity to cure and care, can be a source of further inequalities. That is why involving social science, in particular sociology, in the discourse about health and health care is important. 

Abstract submission is now closed 

Register now: Practical Information:

Regular registration fee: 250 PLN (about 47€) 

PhD student registration fee: 150 PLN (about 35€)

(Amounts in Euro€ are estimates only).

Registration deadline: tba

Please be aware: The fee must be paid in local currency (Polish Zloty).

Registration has to be completed using online registration system:

https://www.konferencje-uj.pl/?lang=en&go2rej=1&kid=281

Participants with active account in the registration system (e.g. set-up during abstract submission) can log in using the link:

https://www.konferencje-uj.pl/?lang=en&go2logPanel=1&kid=281

For queries please contact: ESARN16conference[at] uj.edu.pl 

Please note: refunds will be provided to everyone who has registered at the in-person rate. 

Local Organising Committee: Maria Świątkiewicz-Mośny, Aleksandra Wagner, Natalia OżegalskaŁukasik

Scientific Committee ESA RN16 Board : Ellen Annandale, Ana Patricia Hilário, Maria Światkiewicz-Mośny, Francesca Sirna, Guido Giarelli, Trude Gjernes, Lia Lombardi, Marta Gibin.