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Anna Bredström

Senior Associate Professor

Ethnicity and migration in healthcare and medical science through an intersectional perspective

Anna Breström's research explores how ethnicity and migration affect health, care and biomedical knowledge production. Her current research focuses the usage of ethnic categories in medical genetics research, biometrics in migration processes, and the possibility of developing a critical multicultural pedagogy that comprises tensions and differences.

biometrics

Anna Bredström is a senior lecturer and associate professor of Ethnicity and Migration. Anna is also affiliated to the Centre for Medical Humanities and Bioethics.

Research Background and Interests

Anna’s doctoral dissertation Safe Sex, Unsafe Identities: Intersections of 'Race', Gender and Sexuality in Swedish HIV/AIDS Policy (Linköping University 2008) explores the ways in which migration, ethnicity and racism have been approached in Swedish HIV/AIDS policy since the early 1980s. More specifically, the dissertation examines when and how migrants are linked to understandings of public risk and safety in sexual relations, and how notions of ’race’ and ethnicity in HIV/AIDS educational materials and policy documents are related to issues of gender and sexuality.

After her dissertation, Anna has worked in several different research projects exploring a wide range of topics from sex education and norm critical pedagogy to medicine and health care. Among other things has she examined the treatment of patients of different ethnic backgrounds in primary health care including maternity care. She has also explored how ethnicity is articulated in psychiatric diagnostic procedures. Her current research examines how ethnicity is constructed in medical research and technology with a particular focus on genetics and biometrics. At REMESO, Anna is leading the research stream Migration, Public Service and Health.

Ongoing Research Projects

Anna is PI for the following ongoing research projects

  • A New Biologism? How Medical Research, Policy and Clinical Practice Approach Ethnic Differences in Health. Funded by the Swedish Research Council. In collaboration with Shai Mulinari, Lund University. More information about the project.
  • Promoting Multicultural Conviviality Through Transversal Dialogues: An Action Research Project in the Schools of Norrköping. Funded by Norrköping Municipality. In collaboration with Eva Bolander, Pedagogical practices, LiU. More information about the project.
  • Managing the Unreliability of Migration Control: A Study of Biometrics and EU Information Technology Systems in Sweden. Funded by the Swedish Research Council. In collaboration with Karin Krifors (REMESO) and Nedžad Mešić (IBL) at LiU. More information about the project.

Teaching

Anna teaches in feminist theory, theories of ’race’ and ethnicity, intersectionality, sexuality, sexual health, and migration and health. She is engaged as teacher and supervisor in the BA Programme Social and Cultural Analysis and the International Master’s Programme Ethnic and Migrations Studies. She also teaches within the REMESO Graduate School and supervise PhD students. During 2020 she is the Programme Coordinator for Ethnic and Migration Studies (EMS).

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