Biomedical humanities:
21st-century American perspectives on literature and culture
4th Methodologies in American Studies Workshop
October 22-23, 2018

Website

Poster (pdf)

The 2018 MAS workshop focuses on biohumanities – a cutting-edge field of inquiry that attempts to reconcile the natural and medical sciences with the humanities. The integration of theories and concepts from ecology, biology, anthropology, medical sciences, and psychology, as well as political science and philosophy, to name only a few, offers innovative approaches to the study of non/human agency, citizenship, cultural and environmental change, and economic processes. Importantly, life sciences add to our understanding of the human being and open up a critical space for rethinking and reevaluating the established approaches to the study of American culture and its global impact.

Venue: Institute of English Studies, University of Warsaw

Format: 2-day workshop consisting of five 3-hour sessions,
a plenary lecture, and a summing-up session

Eligibility: The workshop is open to young scholars who are either working on their doctoral dissertations or have recently received a Ph.D., and who are affiliated with an institution of higher education in Central/Eastern Europe.
Since the number of participants is limited to 20, the organizers reserve the right to select the applications based on geographic and academic criteria.

Description: International scholars and members of the Polish Association for American Studies will offer a series of 3-hour workshop sessions on biomedical humanities as perspectives on the critical study of American literature and culture.
Participants will also have a have a chance to seek advice from the instructors on problems related to their research projects.

The workshop format requires that all participants read the assigned set of materials in advance. Reading materials for each workshop session will be made available online by 15 September 2018.

Workshop topics and instructors:

Keynote lecture:
Prof. Lennard Davis, University of Chicago (Disability Studies)

Instructors:
Prof. Martin Halliwell, Leicester University, UK (Mental Health Studies)
Dr Anna Pochmara, University of Warsaw (Addiction Studies)
Dr hab. Urszula Niewiadomska-Flis, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Food Studies)
Dr hab. Zuzanna Ładyga, University of Warsaw (History of Emotions Studies)
Dr Justyna Włodarczyk, University of Warsaw (Animal Studies)

Accommodation: Three nights (21-24 Oct. 2018) at the Dziekanka dormitory near the Old Town (double rooms; Krakowskie Przedmieście 58/60).

Participation fee: PLN 200, the fee covers accommodation, lunches, and one ice-breaker supper.

In order to apply, please send a CV and a 300-word statement explaining why you would like to take part in the workshop to: adybska@uw.edu.pl.

Deadline: September 10, 2018

Organizers:
Dr. hab. Aneta Dybska, PAAS and University of Warsaw
Dr. hab. Zuzanna Ładyga, PAAS and University of Warsaw