Center for Cultural Epidemics

EPICENTER explores the social life of cultural epidemics. It combines empirical knowledge, methods, and theory in anthropology and epidemiology. The Centre aims to fill a knowledge gap in scientific as well as popular understandings of contagion by asking: What is contagion? The traditional distinction between communicable (i.e. infectious) and non-communicable diseases is challenged through research at the Centre.
Currently, significant epidemics of non-communicable diseases (e.g. obesity, diabetes, ADHD) are spreading, but the social dynamics of how these diseases spread are poorly theorized. The overall hypothesis of research at EPICENTER is twofold: a) infection and contagion are communicative phenomena; and b) epidemic phenomena always include communication, irrespective of the disease.
EPICENTER is currently hosting studies on cancer, HIV, diabetes, drug addiction, trauma, suicide, prevention and treatment regimes. Fieldwork will be carried out in Denmark, South Africa, Uganda, Siberia, United Kingdom, and Egypt during 2013-16.
EPICENTER will be a platform for communication between researchers and the public through museum exhibitions. Researchers will produce cross-disciplinary as well as disciplinary publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as publications in Danish scientific journals and the media.