Message posted on 14/06/2019

Call for abstracts: Carework and medical travel

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Carework and medical travel: Exploring the emotional dimensions of caring on the move

Edited by Cecilia Vindrola-Padros (University College London, UK)

Global connectivity can change perceptions of the care available to patient= s, as they no longer need to restrict themselves to what is available local= ly (Kangas 2007). In a way, the possibility to travel to seek care elsewher= e enacts feelings of hope as the chance of finding treatment, relief or a c= ure are now plausible. Emotional states prevalent during travel (i.e. wonde= r, anxiety, fear, excitement) are compounded by emotions associated with di= agnosis (i.e. uncertainty) and treatment (i.e. hope), creating a complex we= b of feelings for those seeking and delivering care. Emotions guide decisio= ns to seek care elsewhere, they influence the selection of destinations, sh= ape the experience of care and permeate stories of medical travel told to o= thers upon return. Emotions also guide the carework performed by profession= als =91tending the bodies of patients=92 (Ackerman 2010) as well as those w= ho travel with patients who seek care elsewhere (Vindrola-Padros and Brage = 2017). Medical travel brokers provide solace and comfort to anxious and wor= ried patients (Speier, 2011). The caring duties of family members extend be= yond local borders as they provide care to medical travelers on the move or= take on new responsibilities in the place of origin (Kangas 2007).

This edited volume seeks to explore the interconnection between carework, t= ravel, and healthcare. Contributions should aim to explore at least one of = the following questions:

  • How do acts of curing, moving and caring overlap?
  • How is carework shaped by the need to move to other locations for med= ical services?
  • How is travel configured and experienced by ill travelers who require= care from family members or healthcare workers?
  • What are the different layers of care involved in medical travel?
  • How are processes of caring and carework conceptualised in cases wher= e medical travel journeys are never enacted and only remain in the imaginat= ion?

The volume will bring together contributions from a wide range of disciplin= es and geographical contexts. If you are interested in preparing a chapter = manuscript, please send an abstract (max. 500 words) and short biography (m= ax. 200 words) to Cecilia Vindrola (c.vindrola@ucl.ac.uk) by 14 July 2019. Full chapter manuscripts will be due in Janua= ry 2020.

References Ackerman, S. (2010). Plastic paradise: Transforming bodies and selves in Co= sta Rica=92s cosmetic surgery tourism industry. Medical Anthropology 29(4),= 403-423.

Kangas, B. (2007). Hope from abroad in the international medical travel of = Yemeni patients. Anthropology and Medicine, 14(3), 293-305.

Speier, A. (2011). Brokers, consumers and the Internet: How North American = consumers navigate their infertility journeys. Reproductive Biomedicine Onl= ine, 23(5), 592-599.

Vindrola-Padros, C. & Brage, E. (2017). Child medical travel in Argentina: = Narratives of family separation and moving away from home. In C. R. Ergler = & R. A. Kearnes (Eds.), Children=92s health and wellbeing in urban environm= ents. London: UK: Routledge.

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