Presented by Dr Chiara Blanco
The talk explores issues of isolation and stigmatisation as a consequence of disease from antiquity to today. The Greek hero Philoctetes faced social exclusion because he had a chronic, painful and foul-smelling wound sustained in an encounter with the snake that guarded a scared sanctuary. Taking this story as a starting point, Dr Blanco will delve into what it is that leads to the exile of an individual from their social setting. She will demonstrate that what we observe in the Philoctetes, can be easily identified in contemporary society where stigmatisation because of disease is still common, despite complex social structures having been created to tackle it. Are our contemporary "socially difficult" patients more visible than Philoctetes? Or are we still following the same path of dissociating ourselves from disease through our modern notions of care and/or prolonged hospitalisation?
The talk explores issues of isolation and stigmatisation as a consequence of disease from antiquity to today. The Greek hero Philoctetes faced social exclusion because he had a chronic, painful and foul-smelling wound sustained in an encounter with the snake that guarded a scared sanctuary. Taking this story as a starting point, Dr Blanco will delve into what it is that leads to the exile of an individual from their social setting. She will demonstrate that what we observe in the Philoctetes, can be easily identified in contemporary society where stigmatisation because of disease is still common, despite complex social structures having been created to tackle it. Are our contemporary "socially difficult" patients more visible than Philoctetes? Or are we still following the same path of dissociating ourselves from disease through our modern notions of care and/or prolonged hospitalisation?
Event Dates
| Date | Available Ticket Types | Ticket Price | Book Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
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13th May 2025, 6:00pm |
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| Book Now |
