This article deals with narratives from northern
Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918–
192... more This article deals with narratives from northern Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918– 1920). There are about 50 narratives collected between ca. 1950 and 1980. All of them were elicited in interviews: some were told in interaction with two or more informants, some are told by one informant in interaction with the interviewer, and some are monologues. There are different interviewers. The interviews have not been planned or conducted in a systematic and consistent way, or with a purpose to investigate the informants’ experiences of the Spanish flu. Rather, the main purpose seems to have been to elicit stories about “the old days”. Drawing on linguistic choices from the material as a whole, this article discusses the informants’ notion of the pandemic and their conceptions of etiology. The article concludes that the most conspicuous feature is what is not mentioned by any informant, namely the word influenza. Further, the Spanish flu clearly belongs to a past era that has no resemblance to modern society. It was an era characterized by suffering, poor sanitary conditions and starvation. As well, the article briefly discusses the critique of medical humanities and the study of illness narratives for the lack of systematic analyses and syntheses of how these are constructed in general.
The article examines how the causes of Black
Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct
c... more The article examines how the causes of Black Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct contexts: learned sources from late medieval England and oral Swedish legends that were collected and recorded many centuries after the outbreak. While focused on discussions of a particular disease – plague or what is known as the bacterium yersinia pestis – the geographical, chronological and material range enables a greater perspective upon the continuities and transitions of how theories of causality are framed.
This article deals with narratives from northern
Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918–
192... more This article deals with narratives from northern Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918– 1920). There are about 50 narratives collected between ca. 1950 and 1980. All of them were elicited in interviews: some were told in interaction with two or more informants, some are told by one informant in interaction with the interviewer, and some are monologues. There are different interviewers. The interviews have not been planned or conducted in a systematic and consistent way, or with a purpose to investigate the informants’ experiences of the Spanish flu. Rather, the main purpose seems to have been to elicit stories about “the old days”. Drawing on linguistic choices from the material as a whole, this article discusses the informants’ notion of the pandemic and their conceptions of etiology. The article concludes that the most conspicuous feature is what is not mentioned by any informant, namely the word influenza. Further, the Spanish flu clearly belongs to a past era that has no resemblance to modern society. It was an era characterized by suffering, poor sanitary conditions and starvation. As well, the article briefly discusses the critique of medical humanities and the study of illness narratives for the lack of systematic analyses and syntheses of how these are constructed in general.
The article examines how the causes of Black
Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct
c... more The article examines how the causes of Black Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct contexts: learned sources from late medieval England and oral Swedish legends that were collected and recorded many centuries after the outbreak. While focused on discussions of a particular disease – plague or what is known as the bacterium yersinia pestis – the geographical, chronological and material range enables a greater perspective upon the continuities and transitions of how theories of causality are framed.
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Papers by Asbjorg Westum
Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918–
1920). There are about 50 narratives collected between
ca. 1950 and 1980. All of them were elicited
in interviews: some were told in interaction with
two or more informants, some are told by one informant
in interaction with the interviewer, and
some are monologues. There are different interviewers.
The interviews have not been planned or
conducted in a systematic and consistent way, or
with a purpose to investigate the informants’ experiences
of the Spanish flu. Rather, the main purpose
seems to have been to elicit stories about “the
old days”. Drawing on linguistic choices from the
material as a whole, this article discusses the informants’
notion of the pandemic and their conceptions
of etiology. The article concludes that the
most conspicuous feature is what is not mentioned
by any informant, namely the word influenza. Further,
the Spanish flu clearly belongs to a past era
that has no resemblance to modern society. It was
an era characterized by suffering, poor sanitary
conditions and starvation. As well, the article
briefly discusses the critique of medical humanities
and the study of illness narratives for the lack of
systematic analyses and syntheses of how these are
constructed in general.
Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct
contexts: learned sources from late medieval
England and oral Swedish legends that were collected
and recorded many centuries after the outbreak.
While focused on discussions of a particular
disease – plague or what is known as the bacterium
yersinia pestis – the geographical, chronological
and material range enables a greater perspective
upon the continuities and transitions of how theories
of causality are framed.
Sweden about the Spanish flu pandemic (1918–
1920). There are about 50 narratives collected between
ca. 1950 and 1980. All of them were elicited
in interviews: some were told in interaction with
two or more informants, some are told by one informant
in interaction with the interviewer, and
some are monologues. There are different interviewers.
The interviews have not been planned or
conducted in a systematic and consistent way, or
with a purpose to investigate the informants’ experiences
of the Spanish flu. Rather, the main purpose
seems to have been to elicit stories about “the
old days”. Drawing on linguistic choices from the
material as a whole, this article discusses the informants’
notion of the pandemic and their conceptions
of etiology. The article concludes that the
most conspicuous feature is what is not mentioned
by any informant, namely the word influenza. Further,
the Spanish flu clearly belongs to a past era
that has no resemblance to modern society. It was
an era characterized by suffering, poor sanitary
conditions and starvation. As well, the article
briefly discusses the critique of medical humanities
and the study of illness narratives for the lack of
systematic analyses and syntheses of how these are
constructed in general.
Death were conceived and discussed in two distinct
contexts: learned sources from late medieval
England and oral Swedish legends that were collected
and recorded many centuries after the outbreak.
While focused on discussions of a particular
disease – plague or what is known as the bacterium
yersinia pestis – the geographical, chronological
and material range enables a greater perspective
upon the continuities and transitions of how theories
of causality are framed.