The Patient as Citizen: Health Care, Politics and Autonomy

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU, formerly MSU Wonderlust, is partnering with the Belgrade Community Library to host a presentation on “The Patient as Citizen: Health Care, Politics and Autonomy” at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. This event is free and open to the public, and will be presented online via Zoom.

In this talk, Sara Rushing, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at MSU, will explore the concepts of freedom and compliance in the context of health care and medicine. In mainstream American medicine, patient autonomy is a strong value, often described as a commitment to choice and control. In reality, our ability direct our own treatment is often deeply constrained. When we extend beyond the context of illness and look at public health initiatives such as vaccination programs, our notions of freedom become even more complex. Rushing will examine our interdependence with others and our reliance on expert knowledge to make decisions about our lives.

Sara Rushing specializes in democratic and feminist political theory. She is particularly interested in the politics of the body and healthcare as an area of citizenship development.

All Belgrade Community Library online events are hosted via the Library’s Zoom account. Advance registration is required and must be completed by 12:00 p.m. on April 29. For more information or to register, please visit the OLLI at MSU website at www.montana.edu/olli/. Upon registration confirmation, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions to join the program.

This collaborative community event is free and open to the public thanks to a generous sponsorship by Kenyon Noble.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU is a program of Academic Technology and Outreach (ATO) at Montana State University. ATO works across MSU to support and advance our land-grant mission through unique and innovative opportunities for outreach and engagement.