From Elizabeth de Michelis

[Guest guest]

Power and Autonomy in Alternative and Complementary

> Medicine: 4th international academic & experiential

> conference for researchers & practitioners

> Nottingham University UK Wed 4th to Fri 6th July 2007

>

> WEBSITE: www.achrn.net

>

> The ACHRN annual conference is a forum for

> wide-ranging debate on research in Complementary and

> Alternative Medicine (CAM), with academic and

> practitioner research presentations together with

> research methodology and experiential workshops. The

> conference is noted for its friendly collegial

> atmosphere, with participants from both academic and

> practitioner backgrounds, representing a diverse range

> of theoretical perspectives, therapeutic interests and

> methodological approaches.

>

> This year the conference is foregrounding the theme of

> `POWER AND AUTONOMY' in recognition of the continued

> need to understand power relations in the CAM field

> and the implications for research activity. We will

> invite key speakers to address this topic and provide

> targeted discussion space on political, cultural and

> socio-economic dimensions of CAM research and

> practice. CAM operates in various contexts: private

> business, public sector services, community projects,

> global markets and local practitioners. In this

> climate, issues of regulation, efficacy and

> integration are fiercely contested and many tensions

> and inequalities persist in relation to health and

> health care provision. We particularly welcome

> submissions which directly address our key theme of

> power relations: in professions and institutions,

> research methods and academic disciplines, evidence

> and evaluation, consumerism, sustainability, social

> change and paradigm renewal.

>

> WE ALSO WELCOME SUBMISSIONS WITHIN OUR USUAL BROAD

> REMIT OF `DIVERSITY AND DEBATE':

>

> • Healing processes, placebo effects and the

> therapeutic relationship

> • Global CAM practice: examples in and beyond the UK

> • Participatory epistemologies and qualitative

> research in CAM

> • Gender, ethnicity, justice and social exclusion

> • Patient and/or practitioner centred research

> • New Paradigm and Quantum/Systems perspectives

> • Multi-method and multi-disciplinary approaches

> • Innovative service evaluation methods for CAM

>

> WE HAVE A BURSARY SCHEME FOR THOSE ON LOW INCOMES AND

> WITHOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT

>

> SUBMISSIONS GUIDANCE:

>

> Presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts for any

> of the following types of presentation:

> RESEARCH PAPER: verbal presentations of research

> project findings (20 minutes plus 10 minutes

> questions)

> POSTER/DISPLAY: visual/textual posters on research -

> displayed during the conference with brief

> presentations

> RESEARCH WORKSHOP: participative formats on research

> or methodology themes (1½ hours)

> EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOP: practical therapeutic or

> artistic workshops/demonstrations (1 hour or 1½ hours)

>

> Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words (as

> Word attachments) to the Conference Co-ordinator:

> Dr Alex Ryan at the conference email address:

> conference. Decisions will be

> announced and bookings open early April. Please

> contact Alex by email above for further information.

>

> Abstracts must include the following details:

>

> NAME, TYPE OF PRESENTATION, JOB TITLE,

> INSTITUTION/PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION, EMAIL ADDRESS,

> PHONE NUMBER

> NOTES: for research papers, please indicate the

> methodology, state of completion and relevance to

> conference themes.

> For research workshops, please state whether your

> session will be more suitable for beginners or

> experienced participants.