'Varieties of Cultural History: Theory and Practice in the Cultural Histories of Medicine, Science and Literature and the Arts' conference to be held at the University of Aberdeen from 5 - 8 July 2007. (360G-Wellcome-082564_Z_07_Z)

Varieties of Cultural History: Theory and Practice in the Cultural Histories of Medicine, Science, Literature and the Arts Cultural History is a diverse field, drawing inspiration from many disciplines beyond conventional history: thus, the question 'What is Cultural History?' is one that cultural historians regularly encounter both at research and teaching levels. By providing a forum for creative interchange among practitioners of cultural history, in and beyond the spheres of medicine and health, this conference provides an opportunity to reflect upon and identify characteristics, approaches, methods and ambitions. Cultural historians of medicine and health have consistently played major roles in debates over such questions, their work repeatedly providing some of the most provocative, innovative, or otherwise effective examples of what the approaches, methods and ambitions of cultural history may achieve. In light of this, the organisers have foregrounded 'medicine' in the list of 'varieties of cultural history' that the conference will explore. Our wish is that at this conference, cultural historians of medicine will disseminate their own research to a more extended community of scholars; and, reciprocally, that scholars beyond the conventional limits of cultural history of medicine (in science, literature and the arts) will highlight the resonances between medicine, health and wider culture. The first two full days of the conference will consist of parallel sessions and keynote papers; the morning of the third day will consist of the discussion of varieties of cultural history teaching, in the research contexts of different institutions. During the afternoons of 6 and 7 July there will be four commissioned sessions of three papers, two of which will cover the cultural history of medicine, and six keynote papers, one of which will be by a cultural historian of medicine. The other commissioned sessions will cover 'Science and Literature' and 'Methodological Problems in the Cultural History of Science'.