Work-in-progress presentations: a new focus in research on health practices

Last month, two work-in-progress presentations were given by team members of the Sarphati Ethnography project. The researchers gave an insight into their ongoing projects and discussed initial results with colleagues. The team members received a lot of useful and good feedback with which they can continue working.

New focus in research on health practices: hygiene, cleaning, and microbial exposure of young families in Amsterdam

The Sarphati Ethnography conducts research on various health and parenting practices – around eating, sleeping, and physical activity – among families with children in Amsterdam. Recently, a new topic has been added to this longitudinal study. On Friday 11 April, Carla Rodrigues and Lola Kurpershoek gave a presentation at the Sociology department to introduce their research, which focuses on different everyday hygiene and cleaning practices within these families. As the research is still in its early stages, no results were discussed yet.

By focusing on different hygiene and cleaning practices, Carla and Lola aim to explore the complex and often ambivalent relationship between families and microbes. Microbes – such as viruses, bacteria and fungi – play a vital role in sustaining life processes. At the same time, some microbes are inherently pathogenic, while others can become harmful under specific conditions. In addition, the variety of (and sometimes conflicting) messages and theories circulating about hygiene, cleanliness, and the effects of microbial exposure on children’s health makes this relationship even less straightforward.

Carla and Lola aim to understand how parents navigate these complexities in their daily lives: how do they balance infection prevention with beneficial exposure to microbes? And how do care uncertainties and perceived health risks regarding their child come into play here?

We look forward to sharing more on this project soon!