Oral History and Cultural Embeddedness: Narratives Between Medicine and Culture

Abstract

This article examines oral history in the context of the cultural specificity of medical discourse. Taking a cultural studies approach and drawing inspiration from methodological approaches in the medical humanities, it analyses how oral narratives about experiences of illness and healing are culturally shaped and contribute to the construction of medical knowledge. The focus is on the question of how cultural, historical and social conditions influence not only individual narratives, but also the reception and interpretation of medical terms and concepts. Selected case studies are used to show how oral history can help to reveal the historicity and cultural dependence of medical discourse and how these narratives invite critical reflection on normative knowledge structures in medicine. The article highlights the relevance of oral traditions for a transcultural examination of health and illness.