DFG Projekt
Travelling knowledge: the glocalization of medical professional knowledge and practice
headed by Tao Liu and Anja Weiß
Duration: June 2018 through April 2021
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Tao Liu, Benjamin Quasinowski, Dr. Ilka Sommer, Prof. Dr. Anja Weiß, Sarah Weingartz"
The project contributes to globalization studies through an empirically grounded theory of the ways in which professional knowledge works across borders. Professions are seen as a third and globalizing form of regulation besides market and state since they govern themselves heterarchically through peer recognition of professional knowledge.
The project uses professional knowledge and practice of physicians as a test case for globalization studies. Medical knowledge is likely to universalize since it is based on natural science evidence; many doctors are migrants and/or practice abroad, and the field has become more standardized. However, the national organization of health care and medical education, as well as the nature of the doctor-patient relationship, could also result in a boundedness of medical knowledge. We see medical knowledge both as universalizing through standard diffusion and as a situated response to socio-material problems, or, as Robertson (1992) suggests, as glocalized. Thus, we attempt to overcome clear-cut dichotomies between global and local, between universal and particular in the study of globalization. The empirical study will focus on the treatment of a single cardiological condition in order to connect a macrosocial analysis of standard setting through transnational professional associations with the microsocial observation of situated professional knowledge and practice in treating this disease. By studying the global actor constellation that disseminates treatment standards we will trace processes of standard setting and diffusion that go beyond national cardiologic associations. By observing the treatment of simulated patients in medical pedagogical settings the project analyzes the ways in which standards inform tacit knowledge in practice. Observations take place at university hospitals in at least four countries (Germany, PR China, Netherlands, Turkey).
The project delivers foundational research in the sociology of globalization based on a multi-method comparative study. On the basis of multiple embedded comparisons the project will show whether and to what extent knowledge universalizes through standard diffusion, shared contention and mobility. It also develops a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which professional knowledge remains particular and/or locally bound due to e.g. divergent standards, particular national health systems, epistemic and language communities, and position in migratory networks. Applied results of the project will aid the internationalization of medical education and improve cooperation between physicians in internationalized settings.
The project is headed by Prof. Dr. Tao Liu and Prof. Dr. Anja Weiß. Further researchers are Dr. Ilka Sommer, Benjamin Quasinowski and Sarah Weingartz, all of them from the Institute of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Moreover the project team includes medical colleagues as advisors, namely Dr. med. Stefanie Merse (medical education, Essen University Hospital), Prof. Dr. med. Till Neumann (cardiology) and PD Dr. med. Dr. rer. pol. Anja Neumann (health economy).
Project Related Publications
► Sommer, Ilka, Solmaz Assa, Cadja Bachmann, Wei Chen, Melih Elcin, Elisabeth Funk, Caner Kamisli, Tao Liu, Alexander H. Maass, Stefanie Merse, Caroline Morbach, Anja Neumann, Till Neumann, Benjamin Quasinowski, Stefan Störk, Sarah Weingartz, Götz Wietasch und Anja Weiss (04 April 2024). "Medical Care as Flea Market Bargaining? An International Interdisciplinary Study of Varieties of Shared Decision Making in Physician–Patient Interactions." Teaching and Learning in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2024.2322456
► Quasinowski, Benjamin, Solmaz Assa, Cadja Bachmann, Wei Chen, Melih Elcin, Caner Kamisli, Tao Liu, Alexander Maass, Stefanie Merse, Caroline Morbach, Anja Neumann, Till Neumann, Ilka Sommer, Stefan Störk, Sarah Weingartz, Anja Weiß und Götz Wietasch (2023). "Hearts in their hands – Physicians’ gestures embodying globalized shared professional knowledge around the world." Sociology of Health & Illness 45(5) 1101-1122. Doi 10.1111/1467-9566.13639
► Brussig, Martin, Alexandra Graevskaia, Benedikt Müller, Anja Weiß unter Mitarbeit von Alexander Auth (2022). "Die Vielfalt von Diversity: Handlungsprobleme von Personalverantwortlichen in der Polizei." In: Antonio Vera, Rafael Behr, Martin Brussig und Anja Weiß (Hg.). Migration und Polizei. Auswirkungen der Zuwanderung auf die Organisation und Diversität der deutschen Polizei Baden-Baden: Nomos, S. 21-60.
► Weiß, Anja (2023). "Global Social Inequalities." In Surinder S. Jodhka and Boike Rehbein (Hg.) Global Handbook of Inequality Cham: Springer; S. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97417-6_103-1.
► Vera, Antonio, Rafael Behr, Martin Brussig und Anja Weiß (Hg.) (2022). Migration und Polizei. Auswirkungen der Zuwanderung auf die Organisation und Diversität der deutschen Polizei. Baden-Baden: Nomos. Open Access https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748927273
► Weiß, Anja; Quasinowski, Benjamin; Sommer, Ilka (2022): Study Report “Globalizing medical knowledge and practice”. Transcripts, translation, audiovisual and context material for doctor- patient-interaction videoobserved at university hospitals in Ankara (Turkey), Beijing (PRChina), Groningen (Netherlands) and Würzburg (Germany). Bremen: RDC Qualiservice. http://dx.doi.org/10.26092/elib/1395.
► Sommer, Ilka; Weingartz, Sarah; Elçin, Melih; Tuncel, Bilge; Weiß, Anja (2021): Globalizing medical knowledge and practise: Doctor-patient-interaction videoobserved at a university hospital in Ankara (Turkey). Transcripts, translation, audiovisual and context material. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.939234
► Weiß, Anja; Sommer, Ilka; Chen, Wei; Liu, Tao; Guo, Fan; Liu, Wenting (2021): Globalizing medical knowledge and practise. Doctor-patient-interaction videoobserved at a university hospital in Beijing (PRChina). Transcripts, translation, audiovisual and context material. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.939235
► Weiß, Anja; Sommer, Ilka; Merse, Stefanie; Weingartz, Sarah; Wietasch, Götz; Maass, Alexander; Assa, Solmaz (2021): Globalizing medical knowledge and practise. Doctor-patient-interaction videoobserved at a university hospital in Groningen (Netherlands). Transcripts, translation, audiovisual and context material. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.939238
► Weiß, Anja; Sommer, Ilka; Merse, Stefanie; Störk, Stefan; Breunig, Margret; Morbach, Caroline (2021): Globalizing medical knowledge and practise. Doctor-patient-interaction videoobserved at a university hospital in Würzburg (Germany). Transcripts, translation, audiovisual and context material. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.939245
► Graevskaia, Alexandra, Annelie Molapisi, Benedikt Müller, Nina Müller, Jan Thews, Rafael Behr, Martin Brussig, Antonio Vera und Anja Weiß (2021). Polizei und Migration. Jenseits von Rekrutierung und Weiterbildung (IAQ-Report 2021/04). Duisburg: Institut für Arbeit und Qualifikation. https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/74229
► Hollstein, Betina, Greshoff, Rainer, Schimank, Uwe und Anja Weiß (2021). "A Companion to German-Language Sociology." In: Betina Hollstein, Rainer Greshoff, Uwe Schimank, and Anja Weiß (Hg.). Soziologie. The State of Sociology in the German-speaking World. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, Oldenbourg, S. 1-8, https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110627275-001 . ISBN: 978-3-11-062333-8
► Weiß, Anja (2021). "Globalization and Transnationalization." In: Betina Hollstein, Rainer Greshoff, Uwe Schimank, and Anja Weiß (Hg.). Soziologie. The State of Sociology in the German-speaking World. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, Oldenbourg, S. 149-163. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110627275
► Weiß, A (2021). "Rassismus wider Willen? Rassismus als soziale Ungleichheit." In: Eckardt, F/ Bouguerra, HM (ed.). Stadt und Rassismus. Analysen und Perspektiven für eine antifassistische Urbanität. Münster, pp. 17-26.
► Weiß, Anja (2020). "Globale Ungleichheiten." In: Hans Joas and Steffen Mau (Hg.). Lehrbuch der Soziologie. Frankfurt/M.: beltz Campus.
► Hollstein Betina, Rainer Greshoff, Uwe Schimank und Anja Weiß (eds.) (2020) Soziologie. The State of Sociology in the German-speaking World. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, Oldenbourg. Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110627275
► Quasinowski, Benjamin (2020). "Can Metaphors of War Motivate Cooperative Action in Global Health? – A Comparative Look at Cardiovascular Diseases and SARS-CoV-2“. Global Cooperation Research - A Quarterly Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 1 (April), 8-10.
► Quasinowski, Benjamin; Liu, Tao (2020). "The Globalisation of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Diseases in the World–Society—A Case Study with a Special Focus on Heart Failure". Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3150.
► Liu, Tao; Quasinowski, Benjamin; Soares, André (2020). "The Emulation and Adaptation of a Global Model of Clinical Practice Guidelines on Chronic Heart Failure in BRICS Countries: A Comparative Study". Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17, 1735.
► Quasinowski, B. (2018). Heart Failure Guidelines Data Explorer (work in progress). DFG Project Travelling knowledge: the glocalization of medical professional knowledge and practice, University of Duisburg-Essen. https://bquasinowski.shinyapps.io/Explorer/
► Weiß, Anja (2016). "Understanding physicians‘ professional knowledge and practice in research on skilled migration." Ethnicity & Health 21(4) 397-409. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2015.1061100
► Weiß, Anja (2018). "Wodurch wird professionelles Wissen transnational anschlussfähig?" In: Sigrid Quack, Ingo Schulz-Schaeffer, Karen Shire, and Anja Weiß (Hg.). Transnationalisierung der Arbeit. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, S. 129-151.