The Edinburgh Companion to the Critical Medical Humanities

Original critical engagements at the intersection of the biomedical sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences
In this landmark Companion, expert contributors from around the world map out the field of the critical medical humanities. This is the first volume to comprehensively introduce the ways in which interdisciplinary thinking across the humanities and social sciences might contribute to, critique and develop medical understanding of the human individually and collectively. The thirty-six newly commissioned chapters range widely within and across disciplinary fields, always alert to the intersections between medicine, as broadly defined, and critical thinking. Each chapter offers suggestions for further reading on the issues raised, and each section concludes with an Afterword, written by a leading critic, outlining future possibilities for cutting-edge work in this area.
Key Features
Offers an introduction to the second wave of the field of the medical humanitiesPositions the humanities not as additive to medicine but as making a decisive intervention into how health, medicine and clinical care might think about individual, subjective and embodied experienceExemplifies the commitment of the critical medical humanities to genuinely interdisciplinary thinking by stimulating multi-disciplinary dialogue around key areas of debate within the fieldPresents thirty-six original chapters from leading and emergent scholars in the field, who are defining its new critical edge

“The Medical Humanities have been at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary research in the late twentieth century. But where should it go now? This volume demonstrates why the future lies with developing an exhilarating, robust, and provocative criticalmedical humanities, and shows us how it can be done.”

...a large and well-structured volume with a great deal of ambition.--Sepehr Hafizi, University of Cambridge "The British Society for Literature and Science"
[An] epic, much-awaited collection of essays that brings together an impressive list of established and emerging scholars from around the world, and provides rich insights into the current shape of the medical humanities.-- "Dr Stella Bolaki, Centre for Medical Humanities"
The Medical Humanities have been at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary research in the late twentieth century. But where should it go now? This volume demonstrates why the future lies with developing an exhilarating, robust, and provocative critical medical humanities, and shows us how it can be done.--Joanna Bourke, Birkbeck, University of London

Together the chapters generate a body of new knowledge and make a decisive intervention into how health, medicine and clinical care might address questions of individual, subjective and embodied experience.

'The Medical Humanities have been at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary research in the late twentieth century. But where should it go now? This volume demonstrates why the future lies with developing an exhilarating, robust and provocative critical medical humanities, and shows us how it can be done.'Joanna Bourke, Birkbeck, University of LondonA field-defining collection of original critical engagements at the intersection of the biomedical sciences, arts, humanities and social sciencesIn this landmark Companion, expert contributors from around the world map out the field of the critical medical humanities. This is the first volume to introduce comprehensively the ways in which interdisciplinary thinking across the humanities and social sciences might contribute to, critique and develop medical understanding of the human individually and collectively. The thirty-six newly commissioned chapters range widely within and across disciplinary fields, always alert to the intersections between medicine, as broadly defined, and critical thinking. Each chapter offers suggestions for further reading on the issues raised, and each section concludes with an Afterword, written by a leading critic, outlining future possibilities for cutting-edge work in this area. Topics covered in this volume include: the affective body, biomedicine, blindness, breath, disability, early modern medical practice, fatness, the genome, language, madness, narrative, race, systems biology, performance, the postcolonial, public health, touch, twins, voice and wonder. Together the chapters generate a body of new knowledge and make a decisive intervention into how health, medicine and clinical care might address questions of individual, subjective and embodied experience. Anne Whitehead is a Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University. Angela Woods is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Humanities and Deputy Director at the Centre for Medical Humanities, Durham University.Cover image: Bullet Proof Breath (detail), 2001, Christine Borland, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia. Glass and spider silk

Original critical engagements at the intersection of the biomedical sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences In this landmark Companion, expert contributors from around the world map out the field of the critical medical humanities. This is the first volume to comprehensively introduce the ways in which interdisciplinary thinking across the humanities and social sciences might contribute to, critique and develop medical understanding of the human individually and collectively. The thirty-six newly commissioned chapters range widely within and across disciplinary fields, always alert to the intersections between medicine, as broadly defined, and critical thinking. Each chapter offers suggestions for further reading on the issues raised, and each section concludes with an Afterword, written by a leading critic, outlining future possibilities for cutting-edge work in this area. Key Features Offers an introduction to the second wave of the field of the medical humanities Positions the humanities not as additive to medicine but as making a decisive intervention into how health, medicine and clinical care might think about individual, subjective and embodied experience Exemplifies the commitment of the critical medical humanities to genuinely interdisciplinary thinking by stimulating multi-disciplinary dialogue around key areas of debate within the field Presents thirty-six original chapters from leading and emergent scholars in the field, who are defining its new critical edge

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.