Blurring boundaries: Towards a Medical History of the Twentieth Century

Frank Huisman*, Joris Vandendriessche, K. Wils

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This special issue intends to show the potential of medical history to contribute to major historical debates, e.g. on the rise of the welfare state. Together the articles in this issue make clear that medical history, for the twentieth century even more so than for earlier periods, is strongly embedded in social, cultural and political history. The second goal of the special issue is methodological. It aims to highlight the conceptual work being done by medical historians in oral history, digital history and the study of material culture. These methodologies allow them to expand the range of actors in the medical field: architects, missionaries, 'laypersons', advertisers and drug users all extend the medical field beyond the established categories of 'doctor' and 'patient'. Through their eyes, the particularities of twentieth-century health care become clear: the strong presence of mass media and public opinion, the role of international organisations and the redefining of patients as citizen- consumers entitled to health care.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3-15
JournalBijdragen en Mededelingen Betreffende de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden
Volume132
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

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