Northwestern University's Penny Deutscher (Philosophy Department) and Lisa Campo-Engelstein (Oncofertility Consortium and Center for Bioethics, Science & Society) are organizing a book club to read Inclusion: The Politics of Difference in Medical Research by Sociologist Steven Epstein. We would like to invite you to participate.
With Inclusion, Steven Epstein argues that strategies to achieve diversity in medical research mask deeper problems, ones that might require a different approach and different solutions. Formal concern with this issue, Epstein shows, is a fairly recent phenomenon. Until the mid-1980s, scientists often studied groups of white, middle-aged men—and assumed that conclusions drawn from studying them would apply to the rest of the population. But struggles involving advocacy groups, experts, and Congress led to reforms that forced researchers to diversify the population from which they drew for clinical research. While the prominence of these inclusive practices has offered hope to traditionally underserved groups, Epstein argues that it has drawn attention away from the tremendous inequalities in health that are rooted not in biology but in society.
When: Tuesdays, July 13, 20, and 27 beginning at 5:30pm
Where: The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Garden. Go through the main entrance (admission to the MCA is free on Tuesdays) to get to the garden. We will be at the back of the garden on the lawn closest to the back fence, which is nearest the back entrance to the MCA. We will be sitting on a grey picnic rug and will have our copies of the book with us.
Reading schedule:
Tuesday, July 13: chapters 1-5
Tuesday, July 20: chapters 6-9
Tuesday, July 27: chapter 10-conclusion
Please contact Lisa Campo-Engelstein at ltce@northwestern.edu with any questions or if you are interested.