Medicine and Society

This special interest group is led by Dr. Raymond De Vries, a Professor in the Department of Learning Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Sociology at the University of Michigan, and Professor at Academie Verloskunde Maastricht, Zuyd University and Maastricht University/CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care. This group examines the social and cultural aspects of health, disease and healing, with an explicit focus on how bioethical issues are defined, discussed, and resolved. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, the topics explored include: 

  • Social and cultural aspects of disease and illness
  • Social organization of medical care
  • Medical and premedical education
  • Childbirth and reproductive technologies
  • Women in medicine and health care
  • Complementary and alternative medicine
  • Cultural and social dimensions of bioethics
  • Faith, healing and medicine
  • Integrity in medical research
  • Globalization of bioethics