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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Cancer screening in the European Union - A policy analysis

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2010

Submitted on

Abstract

Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan EU’s politik for kræftscreening – med særlig fokus på livmoderhalskræft – bliver konstrueret og fremstillet i centrale politikdokumenter. Med udgangspunkt i en socialkonstruktivistisk tilgang anvendes Carol Bacchis WPR-tilgang til at kortlægge, hvordan problemet defineres, hvilke antagelser der ligger bag, hvilke effekter problemfremstillingen kan have, samt hvordan den produceres, spredes, forsvares og kan udfordres. Undersøgelsen trækker på EU-politikdokumenter (herunder Rådets henstilling om kræftscreening) og statistiske kilder for at sætte screening og HPV i kontekst og for at belyse forskelle mellem medlemsstaternes indsatser. Projektet afgrænses til EU-niveau frem for dybdegående landestudier og bygger på et udvalg af dokumenter om livmoderhalskræftscreening. Formålet er at give et klart overblik over problemrepræsentationer, antagelser og mulige konsekvenser som grundlag for videre forskning og politiske drøftelser; konkrete resultater eller konklusioner præsenteres ikke i dette uddrag.

This thesis analyzes how EU policy on cancer screening—focusing on cervical cancer—is constructed and represented in key policy documents. Using a social constructivist perspective and Carol Bacchi’s WPR approach, it maps how the problem is defined, the assumptions underpinning that definition, the effects such representations may produce, and how they are generated, disseminated, defended, and could be challenged. The study draws on EU policy texts (including the Council Recommendation on cancer screening) and statistical sources to situate screening and HPV and to highlight disparities among Member States. It is scoped at the EU level rather than country case studies and is limited to a selected set of documents on cervical cancer screening. The aim is to provide a clear overview of problem representations, assumptions, and potential implications to inform future research and policy debate; specific empirical findings are not presented in this excerpt.

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