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http://centerforethnography.org/content/ademaj-2021-publishing-relational-practice-living-books

The author argues for the need to focus on "alternative book-historical genealogies" i.e academic publishing itself, in order to draw attention to the technological, economical, and institutional factors that "both a product and a value-laden object of knowledge exchange within academia". In her discussion on these alternatives, Janneke argues that they are primarily focused on two aspects of reimagining the future of academic publications:1. Focusing on the institutional and material aspects of publication as a practice2.

Trouillot, M. R. (2015). Silencing the past: Power and the production of history. Beacon Press. Prefrace

Trouillot (2015) stated that his book “Silencing the past” deals with questions of “production of historical narratives” which “involves the uneven contribution of competing groups and individuals who have unequal access to the means of such production” (p.xix).The author explores the concept of history as both, the historical process and our knowledge about this process.

Main narrative: Preface

Trouillot (2015) stated that his book “Silencing the past” deals with questions of “production of historical narratives” which “involves the uneven contribution of competing groups and individuals who have unequal access to the means of such production” (p.xix).The author explores the concept of history as both, the historical process and our knowledge about this process.

The main argument and the way this text suggest for my own work.

Trouillot's conceptualization of history as both: a process and our knowledge about this process, is relevant to my research of women victims of sexual and obstetric violence. My interest concerns the formulation of medical history in health care settings and ways in which health care settings facilitate therapeutic trust between patients and health care providers. Medical history is a starting point of interaction between health care providers and women patients. When patients describe their medical histories, they chose which details to disclose and which details to withhold.

Analytic (Question)

Main narrative

Epstein & Timmermans (2021) refer to the concept of cultural authority, described by Paul Starr, to explore changing meanings of wellness and health in the United States. The authors describe the difference between the social authority of medical doctors and the cultural authority of medical institutions. Social authority is the authority of doctors to advise or recommend actions. Cultural authority is the authority of medical institutions to "interpret symptoms" and to "define the parameters of health, disease, treatment, and wellness” (p.240).

Examples

Some of the examples of social processes and factors that transform and challenge the cultural authority of medicine are 1) emergence of complementary-alternative medicines, such as healing modalities based on herbal supplements or mind-body connection paradigms; 2) emergence of health-related social movements, such as disease-specific advocacy groups; and 3) development of self-monitoring technologies, or “quantified self” (p.246).

Application to my work

The nursing profession is different from medicine in the levels of cultural authority and the level of public trust.  Although medicine has significantly higher cultural authority, nursing enjoys the higher public trust and it has been chosen as the most trusted profession in the United States for the past 19 years in a row. I believe that the trust of the public in the nursing profession is warranted by an established role of nurses as patient advocates. As such, it is a goal of nursing to protect the interests of individuals in light of changing authority on health.