Theoretical frameworks in studies on sickness absence and disability pensions

In October 2015, I went to a seminar on theoretical frameworks in studies on sickness absence and disability pensions in Milan, together with one of my colleagues.

The seminar was nicely structured, with lectures on sociological perspectives, perspectives from law and medical perspectives. There were also a couple of presentations about larger ongoing projects, and the models they included. Unfortunately, the arranging committee had not succeeded in recruiting anyone to present the economical perspective.

From the group discussions, it was clear that I was not the only one who was not used to relate my own research to theories and models. The relevance of the presentations was also mixed, as was seemingly the presenters’ acquaintance with different models. However, the seminar provided me with the introduction to theories and models and the references that I needed when writing up my thesis and discussing my research findings.