Researching Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM)
CAM researchers of all levels are invited to participate in a roundtable discussion session on the strategies and challenges of conducting CAM research. Of particular interest is how the structure and process of pursuing CAM-based research influences the research itself. The National Institutes of Health Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has requested help in thinking through methodological concerns. Social science researchers may have additional interests such as how to gain access to health care providers and patients, how to frame the research in order to acquire funding, and how the funding mechanism may influence not only the way research is done, but also how CAM is defined by different stakeholders. How can social science contribute to the ongoing conceptual development of CAM in the U.S.? What types of medical knowledge get legitimized through the funded research process, and what knowledge is lost, dismissed, or altered? How is the cultural capital of CAM modalities influenced by the CAM profession and its relationship with biomedicine? Are there differences among 'established therapies' and those that have been recently developed, or are derivations of older traditions? This roundtable is not designed as a data presentation forum, but a discussion of issues and experiences. Researchers from students to senior faculty are invited to join. Please send an abstract with your topic and position. Those interested in sharing their experiences and participating in the discussion at the November American Anthropological Association Annual Conference should respond by Sunday, March 15 to Caroline Peterson at petcarol@ohsu.edu.