122 Ways to Die: A gendered perspective on historical causes of death
What were the typical causes of death in 19th-century Norway, and what can historical mortality records tell us about health, society, and gender?
In this seminar, Prof. Hilde Leikny Sommerseth will take us back to Trondheim at a time when mortality was a much more visible part of everyday life. Drawing on individual-level historical records, she will explore what women and men died from and discuss how these patterns can be understood in light of both biological sex and the gender roles of the period.
About the speaker
Hilde Leikny Sommerseth is Professor of History at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Her research focuses on historical demography, population history, mortality, health, and social inequalities. By combining historical records and population data, she investigates how living conditions, social structures, and gender have influenced health outcomes across time.
This seminar offers a fascinating perspective on the intersection of health, history, and gender, central themes for SHE-NOR. It will provide an opportunity to reflect on how historical experiences and gendered patterns of health and mortality can inform current discussions on women's health and health inequalities.
We hope many of you, as well as colleagues with an interest in gender, health, and history, will join us for this engaging and thought-provoking seminar.
Welcome!