Projects

Coping with Illness - continued

My second interview project is on an international scope involving cross-cultural aspects. I want to talk to women in various countries and cultures who have been suffering from breast cancer. I believe the interviews will be more comparable if I concentrate on a single illness. I want to find out (a) how this illness has affected the outlook upon life, and (b) what are the cross-cultural differences and similarities in terms of individual coping, society´s attitude towards breast cancer, possible consequences for the woman´s self-respect, etc. There will no doubt be numerous experiences which sufferers of breast cancer share no matter where they live, e.g., in India, Brazil, Japan, USA, or Germany; but there will probably also be distinct individual and cultural differences.
I am looking for interview partners who have had enough time to re-adjust back to life since they became ill so that they can now talk about their experience. If possible the interviews should be made in English. As each interviewee will place special emphasis on the characteristics of her personal story, I will obtain many different accounts which I want to compile to a collection of individual stories from different countries and cultures to be published both in English and German.

Time frame: around two years

Further book project: “Art goes America and back”

An interdisciplinary account of the movements of fine art between USA and Europe starting around 1870. I am working on this project together with my husband Manfred J. Holler.

Time frame: around 12 months