Objectivity and Subjectivity in Medicine | Day 1

Thu Jun 18 2026 at 09:00 am to 04:00 pm UTC+01:00

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities | Oxford

TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities
Publisher/HostTORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities
Objectivity and Subjectivity in Medicine | Day 1
Advertisement
DPhil and ECR Work-in-Progress Two Day Workshop
About this Event

Register her for Day 1 only

Day 1, Thursday 18 June 2026, 9am - 4pm | Learning Centre, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities


This interdisciplinary workshop will bring together DPhil students and early career researchers in the medical humanities to share their ongoing research in a supportive environment. Discussion will focus on the problems of objectivity and subjectivity in medical research and practice: is there such a thing as an “objective” approach to medicine, and if not, should there be?

Medical knowledge is always situated and inevitably shaped by forms of uncertainty. We invite contributions that explore the ways in which clinical and scientific practices may reproduce structural biases, as well as how they engage with key aspects of human experience that resist quantification – such as pain, fatigue, or emotional distress. In this context, the increasing use of artificial intelligence raises further questions: does it enhance objectivity, or simply reinforce pre-existing biases?

The subjectivity of patients also generates important tensions: lived experiences do not always align with standardized scientific frameworks. We welcome contributions that examine, for instance, how such experiences may be oversimplified when translated into medical categories and terminology, or marginalized when they fail to fit pre-existing classificatory systems. We are also interested in initiatives that seek to incorporate patients’ experiences and emotions into medical practice.

In a context of increasing scepticism toward institutional medical discourse and a turn toward alternative medical practices, it is worth asking how the ideal of objectivity can be reconciled with the acknowledgment of subjective experience.


Follow the link for further details.



Eventbrite processes data (including any personal data you may submit by responding to this invitation) outside of the European Economic Area. Please only submit any personal data which you are happy to have processed in this way, and in accordance with Eventbrite’s privacy policy applicable to attendees (available here: Eventbrite Privacy Policy | Eventbrite Help Centre). If you prefer not to use Eventbrite for responding to this invitation, you may respond directly to [email protected].

Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, United Kingdom

Tickets

USD 0.00

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Oxford

Facilitating Restorative Circles (including with large groups) CPD Workshop
Wed, 17 Jun at 09:30 am Facilitating Restorative Circles (including with large groups) CPD Workshop

New Road Baptist Church

Worcester College gardens -  A GUIDED TOUR FOR OCS MEMBERS ONLY
Wed, 17 Jun at 02:00 pm Worcester College gardens - A GUIDED TOUR FOR OCS MEMBERS ONLY

Worcester College

Launch: Writing Queer History by Matt Cook
Wed, 17 Jun at 05:00 pm Launch: Writing Queer History by Matt Cook

Mansfield College, Old Hall

Reimagining and Extending Restorative Practice (CPD Workshop)
Thu, 18 Jun at 09:30 am Reimagining and Extending Restorative Practice (CPD Workshop)

New Road Baptist Church

Moving On (external day course)
Thu, 18 Jun at 10:00 am Moving On (external day course)

Church House Oxford

Mapping Archival Futures
Thu, 18 Jun at 02:00 pm Mapping Archival Futures

Fusion Arts

Oxford College Adult Open Event
Thu, 18 Jun at 03:30 pm Oxford College Adult Open Event

City of Oxford College

Realistic and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence
Thu, 18 Jun at 05:30 pm Realistic and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence

Blackfriars Hall

Oxford is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Oxford Events