News
New Research Presented:
Prejudices and Stereotypes in Health Communication
We’re excited to share that the Breaking Fences project was recently featured at the SMLC Conference in Budapest on Friday, 23 May 2025. Our signature study, Prejudices and Stereotypes in Health Communication, was presented, highlighting the subtle yet powerful ways biases shape interactions in healthcare settings.
The research explores how stereotypes—especially those related to age, experience, and communication style—affect young healthcare and social care professionals. Findings from our pilot study by visiting the abstract book from the conference here: https://semmelweis.hu/szaknyelv/en/smlc-2025-book-of-abstracts/
New Publication:
A Call for Norm-Consciousness in Nursing Education
Silesian University in Opava
Two workshops has been held at the Silesian University in Opava focusing on prejudices and stereotypes in the healthcare and social services. The material and instructions for the various workshops will be available on our website later this spring.
I Am a Prejudiced Group
The workshop "I Am a Prejudiced Group," leaded the participants from healthcare and social service fields to identify and be aware of potential prejudices that patients and clients might have towards healthcare and social service providers.
Exploring Age and Prejudices
The workshop Exploring Age and Prejudices was focused on the perception of the elderly, prejudices and stereotypes connected with this period of life. The workshop was performer for students of Nursing and students of Social pathology and prevention, Social work and Special pedagogy.
Events
NormDay 2025 – A Day of Insight
May 15, 2025, will be remembered as a truly impactful day for everyone who took part in this year’s NormDay. The event is being hailed as a major success, offering a program that both engaged and inspired. The day featured several well-received talks and thought-provoking, enriching workshops that sparked meaningful conversations around norms and inclusion. Participants especially appreciated the open atmosphere and the opportunity for reflection and learning.
BF-PROJECT: MULTIPLAYERS EVENT 1
The first multiplayes event under the Breaking Fences project took place on October 3-4, 2024, in conjunction with the 6th Nordic Conference in Nursing Research. During this event, we presented a poster that successfully engaged 280 Nordic participants. This interaction provided valuable insights and fostered meaningful discussions on the project’s objectives and outcomes. For those of you who are interested in reading about keynote speeches and a more detailed program, you can go to the link below:
Kicki Klaeson - Poster
Kicki Klaeson, Senior Lecturer, University West at her poster "Nursing education under the microscope - what do the trends look like within the norm-critical spectrum?"
Melissa Kotte - Poster
Melissa Kotte PhD student together with her supervisor Professor Yvonne Wengström both at Karolinska Institutet pose in front of their poster.
Carina Fjällstrand
One of the university's own doctoral students, Carina Fjällstrand, in interaction with a Danish colleague during one of the two mingle lunches at the conference.
BF-Project: Multiplayes Event 2
The second multiplayes event was held on October 25, 2024, at University West. This smaller gathering included five educators from Oslo Metropolitan University who specialize in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
Alongside University West’s own SRHR educators, they created a “norm lab” through a collage activity. The event concluded with a group reflection on the impact of norms from various power perspectives.
Norwegian colleagues
Norwegian colleagues together with Kristina Areskoug Josefsson, teacher and examiner in the university's own course in SRHR, gathered in front of the norm lab.
Class of 2024
The class learned about Norm-Consciousness and Health. Results from the workshops such as artifacts, digital material and other results have create a foundation of the Norm Lab that have been produced. We wanna thank all the students for their hard work.
New Research from BF members
New Research published by Breaking Fences members in the journal Nurse Education Today shows that teachers who are facing the task of providing norm-critical, practical education to nursing students are ambivalent towards the core principles of norm criticism, which they conceive as natural and provoking, at the same time.
The article stresses that there is a need to un-dramatise norm criticism and better prepare teachers in how to use it. Teachers would benefit from follow-up activities and formal collaborations regarding norm-critical teaching, so that they are given context to discuss, reflect, and learn from each other.
BF and Innovation Week
In Sweden, 13-17 May 2024 with presentations of how to Implement a norm-creative lab in health education to promote equity and social sustainability Over 400 conference participants visited the poster and some also gave comments to the online contributions on how to break fences that was available through the poster QR codes!
Completed seminars/workshops
Tuesday, May 14 2024 Breaking Fences project carried out a Norm-lab event at University West Campus in Trollhättan. The event posed the question to the workshop participants: What is a norm lab, and how can it be effectively utilized for health students?
