Closure and the Critical Epidemic Ending
1Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Summary
This study differentiates between epidemic "closure" and "ending," arguing that distinguishing these concepts clarifies the complex dynamics of epidemic resolution. Understanding this nuance is key to analyzing historical and contemporary epidemic narratives.
Area of Science:
- Medical Humanities
- History of Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Charles Rosenberg's 1989 concept of epidemics possessing a "dramaturgic form" provides a framework for understanding epidemic trajectories.
- Subsequent scholarship has critiqued Rosenberg's model for its perceived neatness and linearity, particularly concerning epidemic endings.
- Existing critiques often conflate the concepts of "closure" and "ending" within epidemic narratives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To nuance existing criticisms of Rosenberg's dramaturgic model of epidemics.
- To distinguish between the concepts of "closure" and "ending" in the context of epidemic narratives.
- To propose that differentiating "closure" from "ending" can resolve complexities in understanding epidemic resolution.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of epidemic theory and historical narratives.
- Distinction between the literary/narrative concept of "closure" and the event-based concept of "ending."
- Application of this distinction to critical studies of epidemic endings.
Main Results:
- Rosenberg's dramaturgic model, while influential, oversimplifies the non-linear and complex nature of epidemic endings.
- The distinction between "closure" (narrative resolution) and "ending" (cessation of the epidemic event) is crucial.
- Many perceived complications in epidemic endings can be resolved by analyzing whether they achieve narrative closure.
Conclusions:
- The article advocates for a more nuanced understanding of epidemic resolution by separating narrative closure from event cessation.
- This conceptual distinction offers a valuable tool for analyzing diverse epidemic experiences and their representations.
- Further research can explore how different forms of closure or lack thereof shape public and individual responses to epidemics.
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