2025
Early Career Workshop
3-4June2025
Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Campus Luigi Einaudi, Torino-Italy
The European Society of Health and Medical Sociology is pleased to announce its midterm Early Career Workshop scheduled for Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 of June, 2025. This in-person workshop will be held at the University of Torino, Italy, hosted and organized by Prof. Alice Scavarda.
Since the 1970s, qualitative research in health sociology has increasingly emphasised incorporating the voices of patients, individuals living with specific health conditions, and those experiencing health disparities. This shift reflects a broader move toward understanding health and illness as lived experiences shaped by social, cultural, and structural factors. Key approaches, such as ethnography, in-depth interviews, and participatory methods, have been employed to capture the perspectives of individuals whose voices were historically marginalised in medical and sociological research. This qualitative turn coincides with the rise of critical social theories, feminist epistemologies, and advocacy for patient-centred and family-focused care, which challenge biomedical dominance and emphasise the importance of subjective experience in shaping health outcomes. It also aligns with a growing recognition of the need to address healthcare inequities through inclusive research practices. These developments have paved the way for more participatory and co-productive research approaches in health sociology, promoting epistemic justice by valuing diverse forms of knowledge.
In this two-days workshop we will offer a mixture of keynote lectures and applied workshops in which participants can elaborate on the insights gained during the keynote presentations. More details here.
For who?
This Early Career Workshop is intended for PhD students and early career researchers (within 5 years post-PhD) in the social sciences and public health, interested in a sociological approach to health and illness. The workshop is limited to 10 participants and will be conducted in English.
Participation is free of charge, as costs are covered by ESHMS, including lunch for both days. However, elected young researchers will be asked to pay the ESHMS membership fee. For more information on membership, please visit https://eshms.eu/membership. Travel and accommodation expenses should be covered by participants.
How to apply?
To apply, submit a Word document outlining:
1. Your motivation to participate in this workshop (500-800 words)
2. Your research project + stage of research (200-400 words)
3. Your full name, institution, and contact details
Send your application no later than April 20th 2025 to Alice Scavarda (alice.scavarda@unito.it) and Melissa Ceuterick (melissa.ceuterick@ugent.be).
Applicants will be notified of acceptance by April 30th 2025.
For further inquiries, please contact Alice Scavarda or Melissa Ceuterick