Putting “Theory into Practice” – Reflecting on the Medical Humanities Research Network Scotland Workshop 2

Research Summary: Medical Humanities Research Network Scotland Workshop 2

Topic: Medical Humanities Research — Theory into Practice

Event Type: Second workshop by Medical Humanities Research Network Scotland at University of Edinburgh

Primary Focus: Critical dialogue bridging clinical applications and humanities scholarship within medical humanities

Key Objective: Unpacking the entanglements of theory and practice through diverse interdisciplinary voices

Author/Contributor: Cheryl McGeachan, PhD Candidate, University of Glasgow

Preceding Event: First MHRNS workshop titled “Why Historicise?” at University of Glasgow

Approach: Creating time and space for critical reflection on multiple pathways within medical humanities research

Cheryl McGeachan, Phd Candidate at the University of Glasgow, writes: Recently, the Medical Humanities Research Network Scotland held its second workshop event at the University of Edinburgh, entitled “Theory into Practice”. Following on from the first workshop event at the University of Glasgow, entitled “Why Historicise?”, this workshop sought to investigate – and create critical dialogues around – the challenges associated with bringing together multiple voices from both those engaged in clinical applications and those humanities scholars who are less so, in an attempt to convey the different and similar pathways we take in our own work within the medical humanities.

Attempting to put “Theory into Practice” was never going to be an easy task. However, by allowing a time and space to attempt to unpick the entanglements of theory and practice in the medical humanities with a range of other individuals from diverse fields, set in motion a series of critical and reflective questions that I hope to continue to work through at future MHRNS events.