Autopathographies: how "Sick Lit." shapes knowledge of the illness experience

Journal article

I had the honour of being a member of the first class of MSc students in Medical Anthropology in Oxford in 2001. During the MSc I became interested in the intersections of medical anthropology and public health, particularly in considering how medical anthropology theory can be operationalized to improve public health program evaluation. I went on to complete a PhD in Anthropology and a Master's of Public Health in International Health from Boston University, where my research focused on the long-term impacts of oral rehydration therapy campaigns in highland Guatemala. I then spent a year working with Arthur Kleinman at Harvard University and, drawing on the foundational knowledge I gained from the MSc, became further interested in illness narratives. I conducted postdoctoral research on illness narratives through the Oxford Autopathographies Project, described here. I continue to investigate primary health care delivery in Guatemala and co-direct the NAPA-OT Field School in medical anthropology. I am currently Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Public Health at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Authors: Hall-Clifford, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Anthropological Society of Oxford
• Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford Online
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 355-369
• Publication date: 2015-01-01
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-ngzxzb694
• ISSN: 2040-1876
• Language: English
• Keywords: JASO