title: Parallel worlds? French and anglophone perspectives on health geography.
abstract: In this short commentary, we address the following question: setting aside the issue of translation, do health geographers in France speak the same language as their English-speaking counterparts in various parts of the world? Specifically, do they have comparable empirical, theoretical and political concerns? We briefly survey the 'states of knowledge' in both fields for points of difference and similarity. We devote particular attention to the diverse contexts in which health geography is practiced. Our overarching goal is not to oppose two 'blocks'; nor is it to produce syntheses of two bodies of work. Rather, we seek to identify the diverse contexts in which geographic knowledge of health issues is produced, and to encourage reflection on what these mean for current and future collaboration across linguistic boundaries. We contend that meaningful Anglo-French comparative work will need to be particularly attentive to takes on theory that is 'the same, but different', to alternative spatial lenses (territory vs. place), and to sometimes sharply distinct perspectives on social difference.
authors.affiliation: UMR CNRS 6590 ESO, University of Rennes 2, France; Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Sociales, Place du Recteur Henri Le Moal, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France. Electronic address: anne-cecile.hoyez@univ-rennes2.fr.
authors.forename: Anne-Cécile
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hoyez
authors.affiliation: Human Geography Program, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E3, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: damian.collins@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: UMR CNRS 6590 ESO, University of Angers, France; Maison de la recherche Germaine Tillon, Université d'Angers, 5 bis Bd Lavoisier, 49045 Angers Cedex, France. Electronic address: sebastien.fleuret@univ-angers.fr.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fleuret
mesh_terms: D005602:France; D005843:Geography / Q000639:trends*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D011057:Politics
keywords: Anglophone countries; Comparative research; Epistemology; France; Health geography; Theory