Gender, suicide, and culture: a one-day online symposium, 8th July 2022
We have seen a rise in awareness campaigns and charities for mental health in the last decade: Calm, Let’s Get Men Talking, NHS’s recent ‘Help!’. Each speaks to the need to chip away at the stigma of being open about mental health. In particular, there has been a notable rise in campaigns approaching men’s mental health. Male suicide rates still account for three-quarters of the suicides in the UK. This one-day symposium seeks to engage with a range of interdisciplinary discussions on the link between gender, culture, and suicide. It aims to explore the ideas around gendered approaches to suicide, and how cultural frameworks and representations shape them.
We welcome 15 minute papers from any discipline around the topic, or a suggestion for a 5 minute talk for a roundtable event. The symposium will be comprised of an interdisciplinary keynote (tbc), a selection of a panels, and a roundtable to end the day.
Suggested topics could include:
– Links between gender roles and suicide
– Media representations of suicide and gender
– Cultural narratives about suicide
– Historical approaches to suicide and gender
Please send your 250 word abstract and brief bio to gendersuicidesymposium@gmail.com by May 1st, 2022.
This symposium is organised by the Mental Health Humanities Network at the University of Birmingham.