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At 10 December 2008 Trudie Gerrits (1957) defended her PhD-thesis 'Clinical Encounters. Dynamics of patient-centred practices in a Dutch fertility clinic' (cum laude). Gerrits studied Cultural Anthropology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen (BA) and at the University of Amsterdam (MA), and Communication Sciences (Voorlichtingskunde) at the University of Wageningen. In Amsterdam she specialized in Medical Anthropology and obtained her Master’s degree (cum laude) in 1994 after completing her MA thesis on ‘Social and cultural aspects of infertility among the Macua in the north of Mozambique’. Previously Gerrits has worked as researcher and health educator at the Mozambican Ministry of Health (1985-1990).
Since 1991 Gerrits works at the Medical Anthropology Unit (UvA), where she has been involved in various (applied) health research projects in the Netherlands and abroad. Research topics included reproductive health issues; medicine use among Dutch children; migrantsand vaccinations; and the evaluation of the Dutch governmental cooperation in the field of health, nutrition and population (1995-1999). She has (co-) authored various articles and chapters in books based on these studies. The majority of her publications are in the field or infertility, childlessness and reproductive technologies. She was one of the initiators and organizers of the first ‘Social Science Research on Childlessness in a global perspective’, which was held in Amsterdam in 1999.
With her PhD-thesis ‘Clinical encounters. Dynamics of patient-centred practices in a Dutch fertility clinic' she continued in the same area of interest. What makes many people with fertility problems so persistent in their use of fertility treatment (and IVF in particular) once they have visited a fertility clinic? What makes it so difficult to jump off the roller coaster of treatment? And in particular, in what way does visiting a fertility clinic – and the experience of clinical encounters – affect people in terms of the (further) medicalization of their fertility problems? These were the questions that formed the starting point for the study presented in her thesis, in which she portrays the daily practices of a Dutch fertility clinic (constituting hospital ethnography) and provides insight into the situated accounts of couples visiting this clinic. Further, this thesis examined – inspired by Foucauldian notions on the workings of disciplinary power – how these clinical encounters affect the experiences and views of people with fertility problems and their (further) use of fertility services and technologies. By looking in such detail at the complex and dynamic relationship between clinical practice and people’s experiences, this thesis intends to contribute to an understanding of the complexity of women’s and men’s responses to reproductive technology, and more broadly, seeks to advance the theoretical understanding of processes of medicalization in clinical practice.
In addition to her PhD project Gerrits has in the last years been involved in several HIV/AIDS projects. She was part of the ASSR/UvA-WHO-KIT adherence studies in Botswana, Tanzania and Uganda in 2006. In 2007 she finished a report for Aids Fonds based on an assessment of gender specific aspects in HIV/AIDS prevention activities for ethnic minorities in The Netherlands. Gerrits is also connected to the IS Academy HIV/AIDS partnership between ASSR and The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Bachelor/Master Coordinator for the annual scholarships.
Gerrits has currently a position as University Lecturer and teaches at the Masters of Medical Anthropology and Sociology (MAS) and at the Amsterdam Masters of Medical Anthropology (AMMA).
Samenvatting proefschrift (Nederlands)
Summary thesis (English)
Coverpage Thesis
Voorkant samenvatting proefschrift