News & Events

Dr. Gabi Schaffzin the Technoscientific Bodies & Minds Research Cluster Lead will be hosting a presentation “Afflictive Power: Theorizing Medicalization's Double-Edged Sword” with Dr. Rachel Fox (Grand Valley State University) on March 11, 2026 from noon till 1:30pm.

Please RSVP by March 2, 2026 if you will be attending this event. This is a hybrid event. A light lunch will be served. The in-person location will be held in 280N York Lanes.

Abstract

Medicalization shapes stigma, but researchers have struggled to explain how. In this talk, I put forth a new concept to explain how the circulation of medical knowledge intensifies stigma: afflictive power. Afflictive power is the power to define a way of being as a threat or source of suffering. Using a range of media examples, I show how afflictive claims and representations devalue medicalized ways of being and intensify stigma. I argue that medicalization increases stigma through the exercise of afflictive power regardless of the accuracy of medical claims and regardless of whether medical claims position individuals or society as responsible for affliction.

Dr. Rachel is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley State University. Her mixed-methods research examines the relationship between medicine, public health, and stigma with a focus on anti-fatness in the US. In addition to her theoretical work, Fox has spent over a decade fighting to reduce weight stigma in healthcare, collaborating with numerous healthcare institutions to educate healthcare providers and change education and policy. Prior to joining Grand valley, Fox received her PhD in Communication with a concentration in Science Studies and a specialization in Critical Gender Studies from UC San Diego. She holds a BA in Biology from Wesleyan University, an MS in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University and an MA in Communication from UC San Diego.

This is a joint Institute for Technoscience & Society (ITS) Virtual presentation with PaCT Lab.