Tine Friis What happens when we talk about the connection between our gut and psyche? How might such ‘articulations’ change the ways we understand the body, self and health? How can writing down personal memories help us experiment with ‘body talk’?
Sign-up here before June 2, 2021 to participate in the research project.
PhD student Tine Friis recruits participants for her research at Medical Museion. The research is a part of the research group Microbes on the Mind and connected to the exhibition Mind the Gut.
When?
5 digital sessions of ‘collective memory-work’ during June 2021. The sessions will take place either in the afternoon or in the evening. You can chose your preferred timeslots during sign-up.
Afternoon sessions: 12:30-3:30pm UTC +2 on June 10, 15, 18, 22 and July 1
Evening sessions: 5-8pm UTC +2 on June 10, 15, 17, 22 and July 1
Where?
The sessions will be digital. For participants based in Denmark, we hope to be able to physically meet at Medical Museion, Copenhagen.
What?
Microbiome research suggests that our gut and mental health connect. But we rarely talk about this. In fact, it is very difficult to talk about when we cannot experience the connection phenomenologically as, for example, when we get goose bumps or sweat. This is where you enter the picture…
My research investigates the hard-to-articulate matter of ‘gut-psyche connections’, grounded in our personal experiences. The sessions take form as ‘collective memory-work’: All participants write a short text about a personal memory, which we read aloud and talk about in the group – there are no right or wrong answers. The group will have approximately 6 participants. I will guide the group and facilitate all sessions.
The sessions will take place in English or Danish, depending on the language preferences of the participants.
Who?
You are welcome to participate if you are interested in talking about your own and other’s experiences and gut feelings. You are already professionally engaged with issues around gut, microbes, fermentation, feminism or related issues. Perhaps you explore such issues in artistic and/or research practices. Most of all you are curious about investigating gut-psyche connections in an interesting group engaging with the topic. Moreover, you are 18 or over.
Why?
Memory-work is a collective research practice that provides new ways of engaging with themes/issues around gut, self and health. Its collective nature, involvement of personal experience and textual analysis often tease out new lines of thought, curiosities or critical questions. I hope you will experience interesting synergies with your own professional practice.
You contribute with empirical material for my PhD dissertation. After the sessions, I analyze our conversations and texts further. The purpose is to disseminate research findings for academic audiences and in public science communication. Your contribution is anonymized.
In thanks, Medical Museion gives each participant a gift bag with our exhibition catalogues and free tickets. At the end of the sessions, Medical Museion also offers an honorarium for participants of 3000 DKK (excepting KU employees). If you will be prevented from participation during the sessions, talk to Tine Friis about adjusting the honorarium.
Sign-up and questions
You can sign up here, deadline June 2, 2021. I will then reply by June 4 to confirm participation and follow up on any questions about dates and times. Depending on the amount of interest, I cannot guarantee a place in the group.
If you have questions, you are very welcome to contact me on mail tine.friis@sund.ku.dk or phone +45 93 51 60 34. You can read more about my research here and the research group Microbes on the Mind here.
All the best,
Tine Friis
PhD fellow, cand.psych.
The research group Microbes on the Mind
University of Copenhagen
