Much Ado About … Nothing?!
Sanitary Misadventures in Nineteenth-Century Tunisia
The history of medicine in the Arab-Islamic world has often portrayed Muslim governments as subservient to the imperialist powers in the context of public health measures. But most recent scholarship has overturned this paradigm, highlighting the interconnection and cooperation among American, European, Ottoman, Moroccan, Persian, and other actors.
This edition of our <Community Perspectives> Dialogue Series will focus on Dr. Lafitte’s medical expedition to southern Tunisia in 1879, which offers a striking example of distributed agency in nineteenth-century scientific and administrative practices. Despite its numerous setbacks, the mission was actively promoted by Tunisian authorities, local intermediaries, and communities, who contributed to its outcome. Dr. Lafitte’s tragic adventure challenges a Eurocentric view of Ottoman health policies and underscores how knowledge was produced through cooperation, negotiation, and ultimately the agency of multiple actors.
Speaker: Professor Giorgio Ennas
The <Community Perspectives> Dialogue Series brings students, faculty, and staff together for informal, engaging conversations on topics that matter to the Franklin community. Going beyond the traditional lecture format, the series creates a space to exchange ideas, share perspectives, explore curiosity, and learn from one another beyond the classroom.
These events, currently organized by Professors Dianova, Bullock, Martinisi, and Bucher, are open to all members of the Franklin community as both participants and presenters; the series welcomes different formats and creative approaches to encourage meaningful connections and enrich our sense of community.