19TH BIENNIAL EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY CONFERENCE
Covid-19 was a disruptive event, leaving no part of society left untouched. A ‘global social fact,’ blurring both geographic and political boundaries the effects of which will be felt for years to come. Hit hardest were those already in precarious social standing: the poor and the vulnerable. The notion of a syndemic has been used to describe this grim interaction of virus and embodied health inequality.
The organization of care has shown all its limitations, especially where solid community health structures were absent. Many chronically ill patients and their families are still living through dire situations.
The future will be dominated by risk. Covid-19 has shown our vulnerability to viruses. We will live in a more surveilled society, and we will have to acclimate ourselves to new forms of prevention. It is no coincidence that worrying forms of health populism have arisen from this shift.
In this context, what can the sociology of health offer in terms of analysis, research perspectives, and operational proposals? How can research evidence be translated into viable policy, and how can the sociological imagination shape a more equitable and secure future?
The scientific and programme committees are at work on the practicalities of a conference where we hope to welcome you to exercise your sociological imagination on medical sociological matters.
