The Development of Narrative Practices in Medicine c.1960-c.2000

Abstract

‘… if I have to explain to someone, like the anthropologist from Mars, what any of these words like compassion or whatever is, sooner or later I have to tell them a story.’ Professor Arthur Frank Chaired by Professor Brian Hurwitz (King’s College), this Witness Seminar discusses the origins and evolution of ‘narrative medicine’ as an intellectual and educational field. Featuring the testimonies of contributors from the USA, Canada, UK and Europe, topics include the introduction of humanities into medical education; the influence of medical ethics debates, and the development of bioethics; the impact of political and social movements, for example on disability issues; the emergence of palliative care; patient literature on illness experiences such as cancer, as well as the interdisciplinary underpinnings of narrative practices in medicine derived from philosophical spheres such as hermeneutics, and from the fields of psychoanalysis, psychiatry, and the social sciences. The volume also features an introduction by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh (Oxford).