08.10.2025 Bremen
Workshop
Justice in Public Health and Health Policy – Comparative Perspectives from the Humanities
Time: 8th October 2025, 9:00 – 16:15
Venue: University of Bremen
Health inequalities are shaped not only by individual choices but also by structural and social determinants, such as access to ‘healthy’ food, healthcare, safe green spaces, education, and the political, cultural, and social biases that influence health outcomes. These factors raise critical questions: To what extent can such inequalities be justified, and who bears responsibility for reducing them? While political philosophy and ethics offer nuanced frameworks for addressing these questions, public health professionals have developed practical responses. In Germany, however, the dialogue between these disciplines remains limited, and cross-field comparisons are still underexplored.
This workshop aims to examine justice in healthcare and health policy through a comparative lens, exploring how ethical and political frameworks shape public health responses to health disparities and their effects on different populations. We will discuss challenges and solutions across key areas of public health while evaluating methodological approaches for addressing health inequities and their effectiveness in informing policy and practice. Special emphasis will be placed on integrating perspectives from the arts and humanities, recognising their potential to address neglected dimensions of justice, such as the participation of vulnerable groups. Participants will share findings, engage in critical discussions, and collaborate on analyses, fostering an enriched understanding of how the humanities can inform and transform approaches to health equity.
Program:
09:00 – 09:15: Welcome and Introduction
09:15 – 10:15: Beyond Scientific Research: How Art Can Deepen Our Understandings of the Health Damages of Racism and Inform Policy Making (Dr. Lorraine Frisina-Doetter (University of Bremen))
10:20 – 11:20: Integrating graphic art in support of health data justice (Dr. Amelia Fiske (Technical University of Munich))
11:20 – 11:45: Coffee-Break
11:45 – 12:45: Narratives, High Body Weight, and the Struggle for Representational Justice (Imogen Sophia Weidinger (University of Bremen) & PD Dr. Solveig Lena Hansen (University of Bremen))
12:45 – 13:45: Lunch
13:45 – 14:45: Why is safety so unpopular? Rethinking the social imaginary of public health (Prof. Dr. James Wilson (University College London))
14:45 – 15:00: Coffee-Break
15:00 – 16:00: Health Justice at a Crossroads? Language, Power, and the Chilling Political Climate (Prof. Dr. Verina Wild (University of Augsburg))
16:00 – 16:15: Synthesis and Wrap Up
Location: SFG (Enrique-Schmidt-Straße 7, 28359 Bremen), Room 0150
Workshop organisation: PD. Dr. Solveig Hansen & Imogen Sophia Weidinger
Participation fees (including catering):
Regular: 35€
Students: 20€
Further information: https://shorturl.at/Axryx
Please register with David Moser: damo@uni-bremen.de