This talk, presented by Sandy Sufian (University of Illinois Chicago), presents a unique, humanities-driven approach to structural competency that addresses the socio-political aspects of health and healthcare. The Health Humanities Portrait (HHP) presents six key elements—texture, tonality, perspective-taking, centering the subject, critical composition, and juxtaposition—that draw from the insights of arts, photography, and literature in order to forward an understanding of pressing social themes that are shaped by, and shape, experiences of health and illness. When combined, these tenets foster proficiency in what Sufian and her colleagues call “critical portraiture,” a process that enables learners to analyze the depth and breadth of the human and social dimensions of patients’ lives so they can appreciate the simultaneous and multiple, social and institutional realities many patients face. For registration information, please contact Professor Stephanie Hilger.
