Corpus Linguistics and the Creation of “Obesity” as a Diagnosis
Tuesday, January 28 , 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm CST
Few individual words stir as much controversy as the word “obesity.” From its 19th century origin as a mathematical equation to a maligned medical descriptor of the late 20th century, “obesity” carries a lot of baggage. Dr. Kate Herald Browne, a scholar of embodied autobiography, set out to trace the cultural history of the word and its power as a central focus of diet culture. In this talk, she will explain how computer-aided corpus linguistics research can capture abstract qualities of words that shape how we think about ourselves and others.
Dr. Browne works at the intersection of technology and storytelling to help change the world for good. She is the director of Online Learning and Instructional Technologies at Heartland Community College and works as a learning integration consultant for community care organizations. Kate holds a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University, where she studied body-based autobiography and before/after transformation stories. Her writing on storytelling as a wellness practice has appeared in Runner’s World, Refinery29, and SELF.
Sponsored by the Harold K. Sage Foundation, the Illinois State University Foundation Fund, and Research and Sponsored Programs.
