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Careful Thinking

Martin Robb

At some point in our lives, we will all have the experience of caring for another person - or of being cared for ourselves. But what exactly is ‘care’, and what do we mean by ‘good’ care? How do our beliefs, identities, and the social, cultural and political contexts in which we live, shape our experience of caring or being cared for? And how can ideas, theories, and the findings from research, help us to think more care-fully – and to care more thoughtfully?

Careful Thinking explores these and similar questions, inspired by a belief that thinking critically about care can both deepen our understanding and improve the everyday practice of care. In each episode of the podcast, you'll hear an in-depth conversation with a researcher, writer or practitioner at the cutting edge of current thinking about care.

If you would like to give us your feedback, or suggest a guest or a topic for a future episode, you can get in touch at carefulthinkingpodcast@gmail.com. And you can leave comments on episodes and join in the discussion at https://carefulthinking.substack.com.

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Episodes 22

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  • S1 · E33
    October 19 · 58 min

    Care on film - with Chris Godwin

    What insights can film provide into the experience of giving and receiving care? How do film dramas use storytelling to create emotional connection? Why is it important to involve people with lived experience in the development of films about care? And in what ways can film help to transform care practice? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Chris Godwin. Chris is the founder and creative director of Inner Eye Productions, which specialises in using the power of empathy in film drama to engage professionals and communities to bring about meaningful change. His pioneering approach to filmmaking sets out to tackle some of the most pressing health and social issues faced by society today - from domestic abuse and child sexual abuse to violence and aggression against staff in the UK National Health Service. Chris' films about issues such as mental health, bereavement and end-of-life care offer profound insights into the processes of giving and receiving care, in ways that complement and bring to life the perceptions of care theory and the findings of academic research. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Chris' journey to working in film, his experience in broadcasting and getting started as an independent filmmaker, and the impact of 'Barbara's Story', his first film about care (03:29) The process of developing new ideas for films (12.11) Some of the common themes in Chris' diverse portfolio of films about care (16:45) Chris' films focusing on mental health issues (20:19) Making films about bereavement and loss(24:29) Working with children and young people in filmmaking (29:18) Developing films about dementia and end-of-life care (35:53) Films commissioned by the NHS as part of staff development (41:09) Making a co-produced film about autistic people's experience of hospitals (45:40) The strengths and limitations of film in conveying the day-to-day realities of care (51:05) Chris' current work and his plans for the future (53:25) Links to some of the films discussed in the episode 'Barbara's Story' 'Invisible' 'Deafening Silence' 'Say My Baby's Name' 'Beyond Baby Blue' 'Timekeeper' 'Red' 'Tina' 'Sensory' People mentioned in the episode Sharin Baldwin Eileen Sills Victoria Bates Christine Leroy (and see Episode 7) James Thompson (and see Episode 11) Organisations mentioned in the episode Sands (UK Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) Abigail's Footsteps Institute of Health Visiting You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack

  • S1 · E32
    September 1 · 49 min

    Organising with care - with Emmanouela Mandalaki

    What would it mean for organisations to take account of shared embodied vulnerability? In what ways do experiences of bodily fragility remind us of our need for care? And how can working collaboratively address the absence of care in higher education? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Emmanouela Mandalaki. Emmanouela is Professor of Organisations at NEOMA Business School in Paris, France. In her research, Emmanouela engages with critical feminist theories, methodologies, writing patterns and epistemologies to explore alternative ways of exploring questions of embodiment, ethics, gender diversity, inclusion, social inequalities and affect in organisations. In this process, care ethics foregrounds much of her work. Emmanouela is a prolific writer whose work has appeared in many leading journals and edited collections. During her pre-academic and academic career, Emmanouela has worked in both for profit and not for profit international organisations in many countries, in the process acquiring a diverse range of social experiences that have fed into her academic research. We discuss the following topics in this episode: How Emmanouela's early experiences led to the work she is doing now (02:50) The aim and focus of Emmanouela's academic research (08:15) The theorists who have influenced Emmanouela's work (09:45) Emmanouela's introduction to feminist writing on organisations and care (11:50) Researching grassroots solidarity organising in the wake of the refugee crisis in Greece (14:10) Reflecting on a personal experience of bodily fragility and vulnerability (23:38) Critiquing an absence of care in higher education (28:12) On collaborative working and writing (32:12) Reading and writing together as a relational healing process (33:30) Poetry as a form of academic writing and a practice of care (38:47) Emmanouela's current work and plans for further research and writing (44:18) Some of the writers, thinkers and researchers mentioned in the episode Rosalyn Diprose Judith Butler Bracha Ettinger Maurice Hamington (see Episode 6) Alison Pullen Carl Rhodes Marianna Fotaki Nancy Harding Erinn Gilson Alessia Contu Emma Bell Sara Ahmed Hélène Cixous Publications by Emmanouela discussed in the episode 'A Feminist Ethics of Care for the Embodied Organizing of Solidarity: Lessons from the Refugee Crisis in Greece' (2025) 'Breaking the plaster: making do with the fragility of the body' (2023) 'Co-constructing new ways of working: relationality and care in post-pandemic academia' (2022) 'The word/world is out: You are not alone: Toward a healing organizational autoethnography in/through feminist reading and writing' (2024) Poetry and Organizing: Perspectives on the Use and Value of Poetry in Organization Studies (2025) 'Poetry as reflexive landscapes of inclusive potential' (2025) 'Organizational poetry as an embodied feminist practice' (2025) 'Breaking words and silences' (2025) Other publications referred to in the episode Torkild Thanem and David Knights, Embodied Research Methods (2019) Maurice Hamington and Ce Rosenow, Care Ethics and Poetry (2019) Other links 4.1 Miles (documentary) Hydrofeminism You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack newsletter.

  • S1 · E31
    July 1 · 1 hr 2 min

    Disability, dependency, and care - with Eva Feder Kittay

    How can we ensure that the drive for gender equality acknowledges relationships of dependency and care? What kinds of social policies are needed to ensure that caregivers are properly supported and cared for? What can the experiences of people with disabilities teach us about what constitutes a 'good' life? And is it possible to achieve a balance between autonomy, dependency, and care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Eva Feder Kittay, one of the pioneering voices in feminist care ethics and in the emergent field of the philosophy of disability. Eva is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Stony Brook University in New York State, where she taught for many years. She received her bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1967 and went on to receive her doctoral degree from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 1978. Eva has published numerous articles on the philosophy of language, feminist philosophy, and disability studies, and her work has garnered several honours and prizes. In 1999, Eva published Love's Labor: Essays on Women and Equality, a groundbreaking work in feminist philosophy, which has become one of the foundational texts of care ethics. Eva's work has been shaped in part by her experience as the mother of Sesha, a woman with significant disabilities, and in 2019 she published her book Learning From My Daughter: The Value and Care of Disabled Minds, which was the winner of the 2020 Prose Award for Excellence in Philosophy and which has recently been issued in paperback. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Eva's background as the child of Holocaust survivors, growing up in America in the 1950s and 1960s, and the roots of her vocation as a philosopher (02:37) Eva's introduction to feminism and political activism (05:30) The story behind Love's Labor (07:55) The 'dependency critique' of equality (18:10) The caregiver as 'dependency worker' (20:28) De-gendering care (22:52) 'Some mother's child': caring for caregivers (27:18) 'Connection-based equality', 'nested dependencies', and doulia (30:09) The limited role of the state in supporting care and the value of 'caring communities' (33:33) How Eva's relationship with her daughter Sesha has shaped her thinking - and the origins of Learning from My Daughter (37:28) Combining the personal and the philosophical in the writing process (39:47) Challenging conventional notions of what constitutes a 'good' life (42:42) Reproductive choice in the context of disability (46:03) Independence, dependency, and care ethics (49:30) The reception and completion of care (52:18) Bodily integrity and the body as a window on the soul (56:13) Eva's plan for a follow-up book on personhood and disability (59:00) Some of the publications discussed in the episode Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex Sara Ruddick, Maternal Thinking: Towards a Politics of Peace Eva Feder Kittay and Diana T. Myers, Women and Moral Theory Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Father Time: A Natural History of Men and Babies Other writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Carol Gilligan John Rawls Martha Nussbaum Susan J. Brison You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack newsletter.

  • S1 · E30
    June 1 · 50 min

    Care and the pluriverse - with Maggie FitzGerald

    How can we make ethical decisions in a world that includes multiple and diverse forms of life, and what can care ethics contribute to developing a pluriversal ethics? What did the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate about the nature of human vulnerability? And can violence ever be justified within an ethic of care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Maggie FitzGerald. Maggie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a specialisation in political economy from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and a Master of Arts in Political Economy from Carleton University in Ottawa, where she also completed her doctorate in the Department of Political Science. Maggie's research focuses on the ethics of care, global ethics and international political theory, decolonial ethics, normative and critical international relations theory, and feminist political economy. Her work has appeared in journals such as Ethics and Social Welfare, the Journal of International Political Theory, and the International Journal of Care and Caring. Maggie is the author of the book Care and the Pluriverse: Rethinking Global Ethics, which was published by Bristol University Press in 2022. She is also the co-editor with Sophie Bourgault and Fiona Robinson of the collection Decentering Epistemologies and Challenging Privilege: Critical Care Ethics Perspectives, which was published by Rutgers University Press in 2024. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Maggie's professional and academic journey (02:41) Feminist theorists who have influenced Maggie's thinking (05:38) The 'pluriverse' as concept (07:29) Introducing Care and the Pluriverse (08:30) Using case studies from indigenous contexts (09:45) Decentering global ethics (12:20) A critique of modernity (16:12) Towards a critical, political ethics of care (17:53) COVID-19, vulnerability and the ethics of care (21:41) Combining Lacan, Žižek and care ethics(24:20) Decentering the self, decentering care (26:50) Violence, trauma, care and repair (33:20) Love and care (41:43) Maggie's plans for a new book on care and repair (47:20) Writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Joan Tronto Fiona Robinson Sophie Bourgault Tiina Vaittenen Riikka Prattes Vrinda Dalmiya Maurice Hamington Kimberly Hutchings Kate Schick Margaret Urban Walker Marisol de la Cadena Sara Ruddick Carol Gilligan Jacques Lacan Slavoj Žižek Parvati Raghuram Sacha Ghandeharian Naomi Snider Michael Flowers Catia Confortini Abigail Ruane Frantz Fanon Nancy Fraser Elena Pulcini bell hooks Journal articles by Maggie discussed in the episode 'COVID-19, the trauma of the "real" and the political import of vulnerability' 'Violence and Care: Fanon and the Ethics of Care on Harm, Trauma, and Repair' Other publications mentioned in the episode Margaret Urban Walker, Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in Ethics Martin Robb, 'Knowing, loving, caring: some questions, connections and reflections' (Substack post) Link Care Ethics Research Consortium You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack newsletter.

  • S1 · E29
    May 4 · 1 hr 4 min

    Care ethics, education, and democracy - with Adriana Jesenková

    What insights can care ethics contribute that will help in improving the education system? How can education prepare students to be caring citizens and support the development of a 'caring democracy'? And what role should sex and relationships education play in that process? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Adriana Jesenková. Adriana studied history and philosophy at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, and she is now an Associate Professor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, in eastern Slovakia, where her research has explored issues of care, power, and justice in the education system and in medical practice, from the perspective of feminist care ethics. In 2016 Adriana published a monograph in Slovak on The Ethics of Care (Etika Starostlivosti) and since then has published numerous journal articles, in both Slovak and English, applying a care ethical perspective to subjects as diverse as the educational system in Slovakia, sex education, and the challenges posed by a fragmented and polarised society. I was first introduced to Adriana’s work when we both contributed to the edited collection on Care Ethics, Religion, and Spiritual Traditions, which was published by Peeters in 2022. I was also interested to see that Adriana had contributed a chapter to the 2020 volume on Care Ethics, Democratic Citizenship and the State, which was co-edited by Petr Urban, who was my guest in Episode 4 of the podcast. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Adriana's personal and professional journey to studying and teaching philosophy (02:36) Adriana's introduction to feminist care ethics and its importance for her work (09:05) The influence of Joan Tronto on Adriana's thinking (13:55) Applying care ethics to education (16:35) The recent history of Slovakia, with particular reference to education (16:45) The deficit of democratic care in the Slovak education system (25:56) Education for care (30:33) Adriana's research and writing on sex and relationships education (33:46) Sex education, the family, and the state (41:39) Caring for intergenerational relations in a time of fragmentation: the role of philosophy and literature (48:03) Adriana's current work empowering civil society in eastern Slovakia and her plans for writing a new book on care ethics for a Slovak audience (59:55) Links to some of Adriana's articles in English 'Research and educational potential of feminist care ethics in sex education' (2018) 'Deficit of democratic care in the educational system in Slovakia' (2020) 'Gender equality as a matter of care for the "caring university"' (2021) 'How to care better for intergenerational relations in the time of fragmentation' (2025) Other publications referred to in the episode Joan Tronto, Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for an Ethic of Care Joan Tronto, Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and Justice Etela Farkašová, Záchrana sveta podľa G. (Saving the world according to G.) Writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Epicurus Etela Farkašová Zuzana Kiczková Mariana Szapuová Richard Rorty Joan Tronto Nell Noddings Virginia Held Margaret Urban Walker Maurice Hamington You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • S1 · E28
    April 2 · 1 hr 10 min

    Fatherhood, faith, and phenomenology - with Zechariah Mickel

    What insights can phenomenological philosophy offer into the experience of fatherhood? How does a father experience the mystery of his child's soul, and how should he respond to his child's vulnerability and suffering? And how useful is the language of sacrifice in describing the burden of paternal responsibility? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Zechariah Mickel. Zechariah is an independent scholar working at the intersection of continental philosophy and theology. He holds an MA in philosophy from the Global Center for Advanced Studies and has worked in schools as a therapeutic skills trainer and as a marketing manager and associate editor at Wipf and Stock Publishers, where he continues to host The Theology Mill Podcast. Based in Oregon in the United States, Zechariah is a husband and a father to two young children, and he is also employed as an apprentice plumber. Zechariah has published articles in Commonweal magazine and in the Global Center for Advanced Studies Review. He’s the author of the book The Unthinkable Sacrifice: An Essay on Fatherhood, published by Cascade in 2025, which provides an account of the experience of early fatherhood using the tools of phenomenological philosophy. He is also the co-editor of the forthcoming book The Eucharist and Continental Philosophy, to be published by Fordham University Press. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Zechariah's background and early influences (02:30) Zechariah's journey from evangelicalism to Catholicism (05:16) The experience of becoming and being a father (08:05) Working as a plumber alongside writing and publishing (09:58) Zechariah's work for Wipf and Stock and as host of The Theology Mill Podcast (13:52) Highlights of Zechariah's experience as a podcast host (16:33) The 'theological turn' in French phenomenology and the influence of Steven DeLay on Zechariah's writing (18:00) The thinking behind The Unthinkable Sacrifice (20:10) Is the book philosophy or theology? (24:01) The philosophers who have influenced Zechariah's thinking (28:28) The father's experience of his child's soul and the insights of Levinas and Marion (33:50) The vulnerability of the child and Romano's notion of 'the event' (37:40) Fatherhood in the context of late modernity (41:40) The burden of paternal responsibility (47:22) Fatherhood and sacrifice (52:38) Responding to criticisms of the book (56:35) Zechariah's forthcoming edited volume on the Eucharist and his plans for further research and writing (01:05:05) Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Thomas Merton Steven DeLay Emmanuel Falque Stanley Hauerwas William T. Cavanaugh Sergei Bulgakov Emmanuel Levinas Jean-Luc Marion Claude Romano Jean-Yves Lacoste Jean-Louis Chrétien Gabriel Marcel Byung-Chul Han Michel Henry Pope Francis Some of the publications discussed in the episode Steven DeLay's Phenomenology in France: A Philosophical and Theological Introduction Terence Sweeney's review of The Unthinkable Sacrifice Martin's Substack review of Zechariah's book Films mentioned in the episode The Sacrifice (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky) Get Out (dir. Jordan Peele) Other links Foursquare Church You can download a transcript of this episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • S1 · E27
    March 2 · 1 hr 5 min

    Death, dying, and the ethics of care - with Iris Parra Jounou

    What can care ethics contribute to a better understanding of death, dying, and end-of-life care? What would a relational approach to assisted dying look like? And how should care be incorporated into public policy by local and national governments? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, in conversation with Iris Parra Jounou. Iris is a researcher in care ethics and political philosophy, specialising in end-of-life care. She is an assistant professor in philosophy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, where she was awarded a PhD in 2025 for her thesis entitled ‘Dying in the Relaissance: End-of-Life Practices in a Caring Democracy’. Iris previously studied for bachelor’s degrees in both nursing and humanities, and for a Masters degree in contemporary thought and classical tradition. She is also a published poet and a musician. Iris has published a number of journal articles and book chapters on end-of-life care and assisted dying, and she also has the distinction of having translated key works by the leading American care ethicist Joan Tronto into Catalan. She a contributed a chapter on ‘a care ethics and aesthetics approach to stillbirth and late termination of pregnancy for foetal anomalies’ in the recently-published edited collection Care Aesthetics and the Arts. Iris has edited a new volume on Care Ethics and Public Health, which has been published, in the Peeters Ethics of Care series, since we recorded the episode. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Iris' personal and professional journey to studying the philosophy of care (02:35) Witnessing death and developing an interest in end-of-life care (06:24) Iris' introduction to feminist care ethics (10:55) How Iris came to interview Joan Tronto and translate her books into Catalan (16:22) A brief cultural history of death and dying (19:57) Towards 'an expressive-collaborative model of mortality' using care ethics (24:42) 'Dying in the relaissance' (27:46) A relational approach to assisted dying (30:30) The ethical conflicts of implementing medical assistance in dying (34:34) Towards a patient-centred definition of unbearable suffering (39:05) Iris' forthcoming co-edited book on care ethics and public health (44:10) Towards a public ethics of care (47:30) Reflecting on stillbirth, care ethics and care aesthetics through the medium of a literary memoir (50:35) Iris' involvement in poetry and music (57:40) Iris' plans for further research and writing on care (01:01:14) Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Nell Noddings Virginia Held Carol Gilligan Helen Kohlen Frans Vosman Olena Hankivsky Judith Butler Margaret Urban Walker Erica Borgstrom (see Episode 9) Ruth Levitas Miguel Abensour Sean Riley David Rodríguez-Arias Txetxu Ausín Claudia Gamondi Anna Starobinets Links to Iris' some of academic writings in English 'End-of-Life Narratives of Patients who Request Medical Assistance in Dying: A Qualitative Study Protocol' 'Causes for Conscientious Objection in Medical Aid in Dying: A Scoping Review' 'Care ethics in theory and practice: Joan C. Tronto in conversation with Iris Parra Jounou' 'For, against, and beyond: healthcare professionals’ positions on Medical Assistance in Dying in Spain' '“Suffering Is a Hostage of Healthcare Professionals’ Authority”: Shifting to a Patient-Centered Definition' 'Look at Him: A care ethics and aesthetics approach to stillbirth and late termination of pregnancy for foetal abnormalities' Iris' translations of works by Joan Tronto Qui se'n cuida? Democràcia i cura Poetry by Iris Oriana Al filo (audiopoem) Iris' research projects INEDyTO POyETICAS You can download a transcript of the episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • S1 · E26
    Dec 8, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min

    A Catholic feminist perspective on care - with Erika Bachiochi

    What can the ideas of an eighteenth-century feminist thinker contribute to contemporary debates around gender and care? How should law and social policy support caregivers and create a better balance between care, work and family life? Is Catholic feminism a contradiction in terms - and if not, what's distinctive about the perspective that it offers on care? These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode, with Erika Bachiochi. Erika is an American legal scholar who works at the intersection of constitutional law, political theory, women’s history, and Catholic social teaching. She is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center - and Professor of Practice and Director of the Mercy Otis Warren Initiative at the School of Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, where she also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the online journal, Fairer Disputations. A 2018 visiting scholar at Harvard Law School, Erika is a Senior Fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she founded the Wollstonecraft Project. Erika received a B.A. from Middlebury College in 1996, an M.A. in theology as a Bradley Fellow from the Institute for the Study of Politics and Religion at Boston College in 1999, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2002. The mother of seven children, Erika was a co-founder of St. Benedict’s, a Catholic classical school in Massachusetts where she served as President of the Board from 2013-2015. She has published numerous articles in legal and political journals and in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. Erika's book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, which offers a revisionist history of the early women’s rights movement, including a radical reassessment of the work of Mary Wollstonecraft, was published in 2021. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Erika's journey to becoming a legal scholar (03:02) Erika's philosophical, political and spiritual journey (08:33) The rationale for Erika's book The Rights of Women and its focus on Mary Wollstonecraft (17:28) The balance between rights and duties and the emphasis on virtues in Wollstonecraft's thinking (25:56) The lost legacy of first-wave feminism (37:30) Mary Ann Glendon's work on care, families, and social policy (43:35) Erika's critique of feminist care ethics, and her understanding of the distinctive role of fathers in care (49:38) The role of the state in supporting caregiving within families (59:34) A distinctive Catholic feminist position on care (01:03:37) Erika's plans for a sequel to The Rights of Women (01:07:33) Some of the writers, thinkers and activists mentioned in the episode: Aristotle Cicero John Locke Mary Wollstonecraft William Godwin Joseph Priestley Richard Price Abigail Adams Lucrecia Mott Jane Addams Susan B. Anthony Sarah Moore Grimké Betty Friedan Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mary Ann Glendon Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Eva Feder Kittay Dorothy Day Rachel Coleman Kate Phelan Abigail Favale Leah Libresco Sargeant Holly Lawford-Smith Bernie Sanders Articles by Erika Bachiochi cited in the episode 'Embodied equality: debunking equal protection arguments for abortion rights' (2011) 'Embodied caregiving' (2016) 'Dobbs, Equality and the Contested Meanings of Women's Rights' (2023) Other publications mentioned in the episode 'Declaration of Sentiments' (1848) Mulieris dignitatem (1988) Mary Ann Glendon, Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse (1991) Eva Feder Kittay, Love's Labor: Essays on Women, Equality, and Dependency (1999) 'Catholic and Radical Feminism: a dialogue' (Fairer Disputations) (2024) Leah Libresco Sargeant, The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto (2025) Useful links Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement New Deal Communitarianism New Democrats World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) - and see Mary Ann Glendon's account You can download a transcript of the episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #25
    Nov 9, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min

    Protest, performance, and care - with Alisha Ibkar

    What can a protest movement organised by Muslim grandmothers in India teach us about the role of care in political action? In what sense should we understand care as performance and everyday caring activities as artful practices? And how might interpersonal care nurture a wider caring imagination and foster a politics of care? These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode, with Alisha Ibkar. Originally from Kaliachak in West Bengal, India, Alisha has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, and a Master of Arts degree, also in English Literature, from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. She was a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Warwick, where she completed a Master’s degree in applied theatre, with her dissertation focusing on the study of ethics and the aesthetics of care in the context of political activism. Alisha is currently a School of Arts, Languages and Cultures doctoral fellow in Theatre and Performance at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama in the University of Manchester. Since 2016 she has also held the post of Assistant Professor of English Literature and Language at Aligarh Muslim University. In Manchester, Alisha is associated with The Care Lab, which is partnered with the AHRC-funded Care Aesthetics Research Exploration (CARE) Project, led by Professor James Thompson, who was my guest in Episode 11 of the podcast. Alisha’s academic research places the burgeoning critical theorisations around the ethics and aesthetics of care in dialogue with socio-political protest movements, a context within which the relevance of caretaking is yet to be studied. Her research engages with women-led social movements in India to examine the extent to which care played a principal role, with her understanding of care emerging from Muslim women’s cultural and domestic practices of care. Through her work, Alisha seeks a decolonial reorientation, not only within care theory and scholarship, but also within political performance. Alisha has published articles about her research in The Sociological Review and in Theatre Journal, and she has contributed a chapter entitled ‘On the art of Khidmat; political afterlives of Muslim women's everyday practices of care’ to a forthcoming collection on Care Aesthetics and the Arts, edited by Kate Maguire-Rosier, Réka Polonyi andJames Thompson., We discuss the following topics in this episode: Alisha's early life in West Bengal and how it shaped her thinking about care and community (03:26) The importance of education in Alisha's upbringing and her choice of English Literature as a focus for her studies (07:43) The roots of Alisha's interest in theatre and performance (11:53) Alisha's critical engagement with feminist writers on care (14:11) The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in India (18:15) The Shaheen Bagh protest and Alisha's relationship to it (21:52) The ethos of care underlying the protest (25:10) The practical care structures at Shaheen Bagh (30:42) Care as performance (33:35) The role of repetition and perpetuation in the performance of care (36:25) Everyday caring activities as artful practices (41:21) Storytelling as an ethical and aesthetic practice (46:21) Interpersonal care nurturing a wider caring imagination (51:34) The implications of Shaheen Bagh for thinking about protest as a form of care (57:18) Shaheen Bagh as 'a template for a caring state' (01:01:30) Alisha's involvement in The Care Lab and the CARE project in Manchester (01:05:40) Some of the writers, thinkers and practitioners mentioned in the episode Lila Abu-Lughod Saba Mahmood Sherine Hafez Maurice Hamington (see Episode 6) Carol Gilligan Joan Tronto Virginia Held Nel Noddings Daniel Engster Kathleen Lynch Ella Myers Bettany Hughes Amina Wadud Amira Mittermaier Heba Raouf Ezzat Hi'ilei Hobart Mia Sosa-Provencio (see Episode 19) Sharankumar Limbale Sarah Munawar (see Episode 13) Réla Polonyi Kate Maguire-Rosier Jenny Harris Elisa Imray Papineau J.L.Austin Daryl Martin Other links Jatra (Bengali folk theatre) The Shaheen Bagh protest 'Land of My Dreams' (film by Nausheen Khan) The Care Collective You can download a transcript of the episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #24
    Sep 8, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

    The ethics of dementia care - with Vince Mitchell

    What ethical challenges are presented by caring for people with dementia? How should we understand - and respect - the personhood of those experiencing cognitive decline? And what can virtue ethics and care ethics contribute to the development of an alternative ethical model for dementia care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, in conversation with Vince Mitchell. Vince is a Lecturer in Health and Social Care, specialising in mental health, at The Open University (UK). He is a qualified mental health nurse with experience of nursing people in a wide variety of clinical settings. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Practice and a Master of Arts in Applied Ethics from the University of York, Vince undertook doctoral research at the University of Surrey, where he was awarded a PhD in 2016 for his thesis examining ethical frameworks for dementia care. Since then, he has published a number of articles and book chapters on the ethics of mental health nursing and on ethical practice in dementia care. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Vince's journey into nursing (02:15) Working as a mental health nurse (04:50) Bridging the worlds of philosophy and care practice (07:00) The challenges that dementia presents for care providers (10:40) The inadequacy of existing ethical models (13:15) Some of the key ethical issues in dementia care (15:35) Personhood and autonomy (19:08) The personal identity challenge to advance directives (23:50) Thomas Kitwood's model of person-centred care (30:10) Julian Hughes' Situated Embodied Agent approach (34:13) Personal dignity and human flourishing (36:19) Introducing virtue ethics (39:55) Vulnerability, interdependence and trust (43:05) Care ethics, justice and the socio-political context of dementia care (47:55) An alternative ethical model for dementia care (51:10) Implementing the model in practice (55:35) Vince's plans for future work in care ethics (58:50) A selection of Vince's publications 'Ethics and mental health nursing' (2017) 'Ethical practice in dementia care' (2019) Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Rebecca Dresser Ronald Dworkin Derek Parfit Thomas Kitwood Julian Hughes Maurice Merleau-Ponty Martin Buber Martha Nussbaum Emmanel Levinas Aristotle Immanuel Kant Elizabeth Anscombe Philippa Foot Alasdair MacIntyre Rosalind Hursthouse Eva Kittay James Thompson Onora O'Neill Carol Gilligan Joan Tronto Virginia Held Michael Slote You can download a transcript of the episode by following this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #23
    Jun 10, 2025 · 58 min

    Communities of care - with Lorraine Krall McCrary

    How can we ensure that people with intellectual disabilities participate fully in political life? What lessons can we learn from communities of care in which disabled and non-disabled people live together? And what should be the relationship between local communities of care and wider social and political structures? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Lorraine Krall McCrary. Lorraine is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Wabash College, a liberal arts school in Indiana, and a research associate at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. She has a doctorate in political theory from Georgetown University and previously taught at Washington University in St. Louis and at Villanova University. Lorraine's search brings together disability studies and feminist care ethics, and she also writes about topics in politics and literature, as well as the relationship between the family and politics. Lorraine is currently in the final stages of writing a book based on her most recent research, with the working title Care Communities: Politics in a Different Voice. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Lorraine's work as a political theorist and the roots of her interest in disability issues (02:35) Hannah Arendt's theory of 'natality' (05:00) Natality and the politics of birth at Auschwitz (07:36) Bearing witness in dark times (10:45) Lorraine's use of literary sources in her work on disability (12:40) Jane Addams and the politics of human interconnectedness (16:05) Lorraine's research with communities of care at L'Arche, Camphill, and Geel (21:13) Towards a relational understanding of reason (28:58) The idea of community in the political thought of Alexis de Tocqueville (33:00) Jean Vanier and revelations of abuse at L'Arche (36:12) Abuse as 'relational tyranny' (39:12) The notion of subsidiarity in feminist care ethics and Catholic Social Teaching (44:08) The role of the state in relation to communities of care (49:00) Relational caring at a community level as cultivating a wider sense of social solidarity (52:57) Future directions for Lorraine's research (56:20) A selection of Lorraine's publications 'Geel's Family Care Tradition: Care, Communities, and the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disability' (2017) 'Re-Envisioning Independence and Community: Critiques from the Independent Living Movement and L'Arche' (2017) 'Natality and Disability: From Augustine to Arendt and Back' (2018) 'From Hull-House to Herland: Engaged and Extended Care in Jane Addams and Charlotte Perkins Gilman' (2018) 'The Politics of Community: Care and Agency in People with Intellectual Disabilities at L'Arche' (2020) '"A Crooked Cross": Disability and Community in Flannery O'Connor' (2021) 'Bearing Witness to Natality: The Politics of Birth at Auschwitz' (2022) 'Disability and Subsidiarity: Toward Social and Political Inclusion' (with Parker Gamble, 2024) Other publications discussed in the episode Joan Tronto, Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and Justice Maurice Hamington, Embodied Care: Jane Addams, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Feminist Care Ethics Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America and Memoir on Pauperism Paul Elie, The Life You Save May Be Your Own: an American Pilgrimage Some of the thinkers, writers and activists mentioned in the episode Hannah Arendt Alexis de Tocqueville Augustine Thomas Hobbes John Locke Pope Leo XIII John Stuart Mill Jane Addams Alice Hamilton Flannery O'Connor Joan Tronto Daniel Engster Maurice Hamington Sarah Lucas Rudolf Steiner Jean Vanier Other relevant links L'Arche Camphill Geel Catholic Social Teaching For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack newsletter.

  • #22
    May 19, 2025 · 52 min

    Revelations of divine care - with Melody Escobar

    What can we learn about care from the experiences of mothers of children with disabilities? How can the writings of a medieval Christian mystic deepen our understanding of maternal love and care? Can the religious emphasis on kenosis, or self-giving love, be reconciled with a feminist perspective on care? And to what extent does the practice of intimate caregiving lead to a wider concern with equity and social justice? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Melody Escobar. Melody is a postdoctoral research associate at Baylor University, a private Christian University in Waco, Texas, where she is a research scholar for the Baylor Collaborative on Faith and Disability, in the Center for Developmental Disabilities, and where she lectures on religion and disability, eco-justice, and mysticism. Before completing her doctorate in Christian spirituality at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Melody had a career in corporate communications spanning 18 years. She has served as a Catholic lay minister for more than 10 years in various capacities and she has also worked as a chaplain resident. Melody’s research and publications in Christian spirituality and practical theology focus on families who experience disability, innovative models of ministry, and curricula advancing inclusion and belonging in academic and spiritual life. Melody is the author of the book Revelations of Divine Care: Disability, Spirituality, and Mutual Flourishing, which was published in 2024 by Baylor University Press, as part of their Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability series. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Melody's personal, spiritual and academic journey (03:55) Melody's experience as the mother of a child with a disability (06:00) Equine-assisted therapy for children with disabilities (08:02) The influence of the writings of Julian of Norwich on Melody's thinking (10:25) The horse ring as a sacred space of community and belonging (13:55) The importance of hospitality (17:01) Melody's research with mothers of children with disabilities (19:10) The importance of giving voice to mothers' experiences (25:12) The key themes emerging from Melody's research (27:00) Faith, spirituality, and care (29:20) The contested role of kenotic, or self-giving love, in care (32:25) The need for structural and policy reform to support mothers' caregiving (35:23) The vision of maternal love in Julian of Norwich's writings (37:25) Widening the circle of loving care (40:37) The lessons of Melody's research for churches and faith communities (43:35) Developments in disability theology (47:44) Melody's forthcoming book 'Belonging Under The Bridge' (50:07) Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Julian of Norwich Philip Sheldrake Dorothy Day Henri Nouwen Max van Manen Devan Stahl Links Equine-assisted therapy Catholic Worker Movement Church Under the Bridge For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack

  • Apr 2, 2025 · 1 min

    Careful Thinking - Trailer

    Careful Thinking explores ideas about care and features conversations with researchers, writers and practitioners at the cutting edge of current thinking about care. It was launched in November 2023 and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

  • #21
    Apr 1, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

    Creating, knowing, and caring - with Merel Visse

    How are the practice of art and the practice of care connected? In what ways might intellectual inquiry be a caring practice? And what part do wonder, poetry and 'unknowing' play in research - and in care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Merel Visse. Merel is a scholar, artist, editor and educator. She holds a faculty position in the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University in New Jersey in the United States, where she chairs a master’s and doctoral degree program. Merel is also affiliated with the University of Humanistic Studies in the Netherlands, Care Ethics Chair. She serves on several editorial boards in the U.S.A. and was an artist in residence at the New York School of Visual Arts, and in 2018 at the NARS Foundation in Brooklyn. In the Netherlands, Merel co-founded the Meaningful Artistic Research Program, a collaboration between the University of Humanistic Studies and HKU University of the Arts, and with Elena Cologni at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, she co-leads the Art and Care Platform Series. Merel is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters on art, care ethics, and research methodology. She’s the Visual Art Section Editor at the International Journal of Education and the Arts, for which she and Elena Cologni recently co-edited a special issue on ‘Art for the Sake of Care’. In April, she will start serving as the co-editor of Visual Arts Research (VAR), a publication from the University of Illinois Press. In 2018, Merel co-edited the book Evaluation for a Caring Society, and in 2021 she co-authored the book A Paradigm of Care with Bob Stake. Merel and Bob recently submitted their manuscript for a mini-book on Researching Care with Case Studies to Routledge. Merel is currently focusing on the manuscript for Precarious Knowing, a project that recently expanded to include members of the 'Enduring' research group, and is set to be published by Springer. We discuss the following topics in this episode: The roots of Merel's interest and involvement in art and care (03:48) The 'Precarious Knowing' project (11:32) Merel's practice as an artist (11:50) The Meaningful Artistic Research Program (16:03) The Art and Care Platform Series (18:59) Special issue on 'Art for the Sake of Care' (20:45) Relational autoethnography as a commitment to care (26:35) Evaluation as a caring practice (30:23) The role of wonder, 'unknowing' and the poetic in research and care (33: 52) An 'aesthetic-apophatic' approach to qualitative inquiry (46:05) The hospital bed as a landscape for materialised care (51:03) Merel's forthcoming book on 'Precarious Knowing' (53:54) Merel's collaboration with Bob Stake on 'A Paradigm of Care' and the forthcoming book 'Researching Care with Case Studies' (57:12) A selection of Merel's journal articles 'Autoethnography as a praxis of care - the promises and pitfalls of autoethnography as a commitment to care' (with Alistair Niemeijer) 'Apophatic Inquiry: Living the Questions Themselves' (with Finn Thorbjørn Hansen and Carlo Leget) 'Sometimes, Indirect is More Direct. An Aesthetic-Apophatic Phenomenological Approach to Self-Reflexivity in Qualitative Inquiry' 'Art for the Sake of Care: Editorial Introduction' (with Elena Cologni) Other publications referred to in the episode François Jullien, Detour and Access: Strategies of Meaning in China and Greece François Jullien, The Silent Transformations Finn Thorbjørn Hansen, Solveig Botnen Eide, and Carlo Leget (eds.) Wonder, Silence and Human Flourishing: Toward a Rehumanization of Health, Education, and Welfare Matilda Carter (ed.)The Bloomsbury Handbook of Care Ethics Some of the writers, scholars and thinkers mentioned in the episode Hans-Georg Gadamer Joan Tronto Maurice Hamington (see Episode 6) Inge van Nistelrooij (see Episode 17) Carlo Leget (see Episode 8) Finn Thorbjørn Hansen Louis van den Hengel Jake Smit Jamieson Webster Nirav Christophe Marloeke van der Vlugt Simona Kicurovska Andries Hiskes Elena Cologni Christine Leroy (see Episode 7) James Thompson (see Episode 11) Liora Bresler Alistair Niemeijer Norman K. Denzin Robert E. Stake Thomas Schwandt Tineke Abma Hanneke van der Meide François Jullien Donald Wijsenbek Frans Vosman Maria Puig de la Bellacasa Sandra Laugier Truus Teunissen Jacqueline Kool Paul Lindhout Links International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Care Ethics Research Consortium For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #20
    Mar 3, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min

    Caring presence - with Andries Baart and Guus Timmerman

    What does it mean to 'practise presence' in caring for others? How did the theory of presence develop from research on everyday care practice? And what are the professional, organisational and political implications of presence theory and relational caring? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Andries Baart and Guus Timmerman. Andries is Extraordinary Professor in the field of ageing and generational dynamics at North-West University in South Africa. He is also a former visiting professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Humanistic Studies, Tilburg University, and Catholic Theological University Utrecht – all in the Netherlands. Andries has been one of the leading figures in the development of care ethics in the Netherland and in 2004, with others, he founded Stichting Presentie - the Presence Foundation. Guus has worked as a care ethicist and qualitative researcher at the Presence Foundation since 2014 and has published widely on relational caring and presence in healthcare and social work, and on the methodology of qualitative research. Guus has undertaken research on the care and practical wisdom of general practitioners at the sick- and death-beds of their patients; the life-world of people in Rotterdam who use the bed-bath-bread provision for irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers; and what it is like to be a person with advanced dementia. His current research is on narrative accountability in care for older persons: giving insight to relevant interlocutors through stories. Andries and Guus have collaborated on a new book, Relational Caring and Presence Theory in Health Care and Social Work: a Care-Ethical Perspective, which was published in December last year by Policy Press, and which forms the main focus of our conversation in this episode. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Andries' personal and professional journey to his work in care ethics (03:45) Guus' personal and professional journey (09:15) The life, work and influence of Frans Vosman (14:20) The aims of Andries' and Guus' new book (19:55) The key elements of relational caring and presence theory (23:35) The origins of presence theory in Andries' study of outreach pastoral care (27:11) The religious inspiration and secular relevance of presence theory, and the importance of 'exposure' in practising presence (31:18) The theoretical roots of presence theory (34:53) Comparing the presence approach with Joan Tronto's five-phase caring process (43:34) The distinctiveness of the presence approach to care practice (50:07) The relationship between presence theory and care ethics (46:55) The organisational implications of practising presence and relational caring (52:55) The implications of presence theory for thinking about professionalism (55:40) How realistic is practising presence in the context of everyday care practice? (59:30) The political implications of presence theory (01:03:30) The work of the Presence Foundation (01:07:05) Andries' and Guus' current work and future plans (01:09:15) Writers, theorists and activists mentioned in the episode Frans Vosman Carlo Leget (see Episode 8) Inge van Nistelrooij (see Episode 17) Theo Beemer Henk Manschot Marian Verkerk Carol Gilligan Joan Tronto Berenice Fisher Nell Noddings Sara Ruddick Selma Sevenhuijsen Annelies van Heijst Maurice Hamington Virginia Held Daniel Engster Sophie Bourgault Michael Slote Marian Barnes Charles de Foucauld Madeleine Delbrêl Dorothy Day Jürgen Habermas Axel Honneth Emmanuel Levinas Martin Buber Franz Rosenzweig Jacques Derrida Hans-George Gadamer Ludwig Wittgenstein Michel de Certeau Henri Lefebvre Thomas Biebricher Isabell Lorey Sharon Welch Sandra Harding Alastair MacIntyre Charles Taylor Paul Ricoeur Gabriel Marcel Other links The Presence Foundation (Stichting Presentie) The Worker-Priest movement Catholic Worker movement Frankfurt School Discourse analysis Peeters 'Ethics of Care' series Part-Time for All: A Care Manifesto by Jennifer Nedelsky and Tom Malleson For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #19
    Feb 4, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min

    A 'revolucionista' ethic of care - with Mia Sosa-Provencio

    How has the legacy of conquest and colonisation shaped the educational experiences of students and teachers in New Mexico? What can educators do to enable students to bring their embodied knowledge and intergenerational wisdom into educational spaces? And in what ways are (Nuevo) Mexicana educators developing a 'revolucionista' ethic of care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Mia Sosa-Provencio. Mia is an Associate Professor of Secondary Education in the Department of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, and Policy, at the University of New Mexico. She taught Language Arts for seven years at Rio Grande High School in the South Valley of Albuquerque, before studying for a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis on Critical Pedagogies, at New Mexico State University. Mia has published widely in the field of critical education studies, with a number of recent articles seeking to develop a Mexicana/Mestiza Critical Feminist Ethic of Care, drawing on her research, which uses Testimonio methodology, with educators living and working along the U.S.-Mexico border. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Mia's cultural roots and the social, political and historical context of New Mexico (02:32) Mia's personal experience of the US education system as a child (07:55) The impact of Mia's experience as a high school teacher in Albuquerque (13:05) Mia's current work preparing teachers to practice education as social justice (15:42) The ways in which care is excluded from educational spaces (19:48) Mia's ethnographic research with Mexicana/Mestiza educators using Testimonio methodology (20:55) Learning from Rosa's and Diana's narratives about ways of embodying a revolucionista ethic of care (26:15) Towards a critical feminist ethic of care (34:12) Developing an 'in the flesh' ethic of care: the importance of body and land (39:11) The role of humour and play in creating a social justice revolución (49:17) Mia's ongoing work and her hopes for its impact on policy and practice (01:01:04) A selection of Mia's publications 'A Revolucionista Ethic of Care: Four Mexicana Educators' Subterraneous Social Justice Revolución of Fighting and Feeding' 'Seeking a Mexicana/Mestiza Critical Feminist Ethic of Care: Diana's Revolución of Body and Being' 'Seeking a Mexicana/Mestiza Ethic of Care: Rosa's Revolución of carrying alongside' 'Curriculum of the Mestiza/o Body: Living and Learning Through a Corporal Landscape of Resistance and (Re)generation' 'Tu eres mi otro yo/You Are My Other Me: An In-The-Flesh Ethic of Care Centering Body and Emotionality as Speaking Subjects Fostering Dignity, Interconnection, and Racialized Healing' 'Seeking a Culturally Relevant Ethic of Care for Mexican/Mexican American Youth: A Revolucionista Ethic of Care and its Wily, Tactical Mechanism of Humor' (forthcoming) Scholars, writers and activists mentioned in the episode Gloria Anzaldúa Beverly E Cross Vanessa Siddle Walker Dolores Delgado Bernal Aida Hurtado Chela Sandoval Lourdes Diaz Soto Maurice Hamington (see Episode 6) Nell Noddings Maria Lugones Cherríe Moraga Sarah Munawar (see Episode 13) Other links Latina Feminist Group Pensamiento Serpentino ('In Lak'ech' - poem) For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #18
    Jan 12, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min

    A care ethical perspective on surrogacy - with Priya Sharma

    What has been the impact of recent attempts to regulate surrogacy in India? How do surrogate mothers view their participation in the process? Can feminist care ethics, and specifically an understanding of care as labour, contribute to a better understanding of surrogacy? And what are the strengths and weaknesses of the radical feminist case against surrogacy? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Priya Sharma. Priya recently took up a position as an Assistant Professor in the Humanities and Social Science at T A Pai Management Institute, on the Bengalaru Campus of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in India. She has an academic background in anthropology, sociology and philosophy, and practical experience of working with a variety of social justice movements. Priya’s doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, where she was until recently a postdoctoral fellow, developed a care ethical perspective on surrogacy regulation in India. Building on her doctoral work, Priya has published an article, with her supervisor Amrita Banerjee, on ‘Animating the Affect–Care–Labor Link in the Wake of “The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill”: Care Ethics and Policymaking on Indian Surrogacy’ in the journal Hypatia, and she has contributed a chapter entitled ‘Whose Ethos?: A Case of Indian Surrogacy law and its Moral Bedrock’ to the forthcoming Routledge Companion to Gender and Reproduction. Priya is also currently co-editing a volume on Technology, Mothering, and Care Ethics in the Peeters Ethics of Care series, and is a guest editor for a journal special issue on Critical Midwifery Studies. Please note that the sound quality of this episode is less than ideal in places, due to a poor internet connection, so listeners may wish to refer to the transcript (link below) to aid understanding. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Priya's academic background and the origins of her interest in reproductive care (02:54) Understanding surrogacy in the Indian context (09:50) The regulation of surrogacy in India (17:16) Priya's ethnographic research with surrogate women (22:32) The influence of feminist care ethics on Priya's work on reproductive care (33:29) The radical feminist critique of surrogacy and Priya's response (46:00) Priya's work with Birth Futures and the Critical Midwifery Studies Collective (56:20) Priya's plans for further research on surrogacy and reproductive care (01:05:09) Some of the writers, researchers, professionals and activists mentioned in the episode: Amrita Banerjee Kushal Deb Ira Chadha-Sridhar (see Episode 15) Maitrayee Chaudhuri Maurice Hamington (see Episode 6) Nayana Patel Kanchana Mahadevan Joan Tronto Sarah Ruddick Nell Noddings Eva Kittay Amrita Pande Sharmila Rudrappa Jennifer Parks Sophie Lewis Inge van Nistelrooij (see Episode 17) Rodante van der Waal Asha Achuthan Susana Ku Carbonell Romina Gallardo Marjolein Pijnappels Amritha Warrier Publications mentioned in the episode Joan Tronto, Moral Boundaries and Caring Democracy Sarah Ruddick, Maternal Thinking Rodante van der Waal, Birth Justice: From Obstetric Violence to Abolitionist Care Links Sama - Resource Group for Women and Health Stop Surrogacy Now Dalit feminism Birth Futures Critical Midwifery Studies Collective For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #17
    Dec 2, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min

    Care, sacrifice, and reproductive justice - with Inge van Nistelrooij

    Is self-sacrifice a vital component of care for others, or does a feminist ethic of care make it problematic? Is caring something that we choose to do, or a responsibility that is given to us? And how can care ethics provide a framework for promoting reproductive justice? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Inge van Nistelrooij. Inge is a care ethicist, based in the Netherlands. She currently works as a self-employed ethicist with care organisations, as a consultant for professional care practices, as an ethics educator for professional teams, and as a facilitator of ethical reflection and ethical case deliberation. She is also a part-time Associate Professor of Care Ethics at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht. Inge studied for a doctorate in Theology at the University of Tilburg with Annelies von Heijst, and her prize-winning thesis was published in book form in 1996 as Martha and Mary Revisited: Care as Ethical Perspective. Inge then spent a number of years working for religious organisations and as an ethics trainer, and also as an ethics policy advisor in care organisations, publishing in 2008 The Basic Book of Care Ethics, a book for care workers in nursing, social work, spiritual care and medical professions, a revised version of which came out in 2022. Inge went on to study for a PhD at the University of Humanistic Studies, with Frans Vosman, and her thesis was published in book form in 2014 as Sacrifice: A Care Ethical Reappraisal of Sacrifice and Self-Sacrifice. Since then, Inge has published widely in the field of care ethics, on subjects such as empathy and relationality, with a recent focus on pregnancy and childbirth. She was one of the co-editors of the 2022 collection Care Ethics, Religion and Spiritual Traditions, and she is co editor of the book Recommitting to Reproduction: Shifting Care Ethics Towards Reproductive Justice, which will be published next year. Inge's Dutch-language monograph Baarzaam: Basisboek Zorgethiek voor zwangerschap, geboortezorg en ouderschap (‘Basic book - Care ethics for pregnancy, maternity care and parenthood’) is also planned for 2025. We discuss the following topics in this episode: Inge's journey from theology to care ethics (03:16) The influence of Annelies van Heijst (07:33) Inge's work with care organisations (12:07) Inge's doctoral research on sacrifice and self-sacrifice in care (16:18) Literary representations of self-sacrifice (21:20) The influence of feminist theology on Inge's thinking (29:00) Jean-Luc Marion on givenness and responsibility (34:05) Paul Ricoeur on identity as narrative (40:10) Obstetric violence and reproductive care (42:17) Maternity and feminist care ethics (48:17) Inge's forthcoming publications on care ethics and reproductive justice (52:20) A selection of Inge's recent publications 'Reimagining relationality for reproductive care: understanding obstetric violence as "separation"' 'The Undercommons of Childbirth and Their Abolitionist Ethic of Care. A Study into Obstetric Violence Among Mothers, Midwives (in Training), and Doulas' 'Shroud Waving Self Determination, A Qualitative Analysis of the Moral and Epistemic Dimensions of Obstetric Violence in the Netherlands' Other publications discussed in the episode Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace Some of the thinkers, writers and researchers mentioned in the episode Annelies van Heijst Frans Vosman Emmanuel Levinas Catharina Halkes Jean-Luc Marion Emmanuel Housset Axel Honneth Paul Ricoeur Merel Visse Sophie Bourgault Barbara Duden Andrea O'Reilly Rodante van der Waal Marit van der Pijl Femmianne Bredewold Links Care Ethics Research Consortium For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack.

  • #16
    Nov 1, 2024 · 1 hr 4 min

    The transformative power of care - with Elissa Strauss

    What are the physical, psychological and spiritual benefits of caring for others? How does caregiving benefit society, and what could society do to value care more? In what ways does care change men, and how can we encourage men to participate more in caregiving? And how are care and spirituality connected? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Elissa Strauss. Elissa is a journalist, essayist, and opinion writer, based in Oakland, California, who has been writing about the culture and politics of care for fifteen years. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times and The Atlantic, and she has been a contributing writer for CNN and Slate, where her articles have focussed on feminism and motherhood. In addition to her work as a writer, Elissa is also an artistic director of LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture. Elissa's book, When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others, was published earlier this year to widespread acclaim. Reviewers have described the book as 'brilliantly argued and timely', 'urgent and necessary', and 'destined to be a modern classic'. We discuss the following topics in this episode: How Elissa got started as a writer (02:10) Why Elissa wrote When You Care (03:18) The main message of the book (07:50) Discovering meaning and purpose through caregiving (09:38) The social, political and economic value of care (13:48) The ambivalent image of motherhood and caregiving in feminist literature (20:55) Breaking down the 'glass doors' : building a feminism of care (25:58) The forgotten history of care feminism and its lessons for today(29:20) Men and care (33:36) The physical and psychological benefits of caregiving (40:43) Elissa's discovery of feminist care ethics (46:14) Care and spirituality (50:55) The need for political and cultural change to support caregiving (58:00) Elissa's plans for future research and writing (01:01:30) Elissa's recent articles 'I hated the story of Abraham and Isaac - until I became a mother', Kveller 'The branch of philosophy all parents should know', The Atlantic Other publications discussed in the episode Rachel Cusk, A Life's Work Nell Noddings, Caring Some of the writers, thinkers and activists mentioned in the episode Eva Feder Kittay Carol Gilligan Sheryl Sandberg Johnnie Tillmon John Rawls Phyllis Deane Other links 'Made with Care' (Elissa's Substack newsletter) 'Young men, masculinity and wellbeing' (Martin's research with Promundo) Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Jusitice (formerly Promundo) Eshet Chayil (traditional Jewish poem/song) For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack

  • #15
    Oct 15, 2024 · 43 min

    Care ethics, philosophy, and the law - with Ira Chadha-Sridhar

    How are our duties to care, and to obey the law, connected? What can care ethics contribute to an understanding of important questions in medical and family law? What does it mean to describe care as a 'thick ethical concept'? And what are the factors that make caring actions 'good'? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Ira Chadha-Sridhar. Ira is the Hatton-WYNG Junior Research Fellow in Law, Medicine and Life Sciences at Hughes Hall in the University of Cambridge. She has a BA.LLB (Honours) from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata, and an LLM from Cambridge University, where she was recently awarded a PhD for her thesis entitled ‘A Care Ethical Theory of Political Obligation'. Ira’s research interests lie at the intersections of law and philosophy. She’s particularly interested in the ethics of care and its relationship with questions about the law: both within jurisprudence, and within areas of legal doctrine, such as medical law and family law. Ira’s current research project focusses on care ethics and its intersection with doctrinal questions in medical law. Ira’s publications include a number of articles written while she was still a student in India, for example on the ethics of care in maternity laws, and critical feminist reflections on the laws around shared parenting. In 2021 she published an article on ‘The Value of Vagueness: A Feminist Analysis’ in The Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, while 2023 saw the publication of her article on ‘Care as a Thick Ethical Concept’ in Res Publica. Ira is currently working on a monograph, in which she plans to develop a conceptual account of care, encompassing a descriptive theory of caring actions and a care-evaluation framework. This framework aims to make substantial contributions to ongoing discussions in doctrinal medical law and public health policy. We explore the following topics in this episode: The origins of Ira's interest in the law (02:58) Feminism as an early influence on Ira's thinking (04:54) Ira's introduction to care ethics (06:08) An overview of Ira's doctoral research (08:40) Care ethics and political obligation (10:45) Is care ethics a feminist ethic? (12:52) The contribution of a new generation of thinkers to care ethics (15:25) The relationship between care ethics and legal and political philosophy (17:23) Care ethics, particularism and moral principles (19:25) Care as a thick ethical concept (23:40) Care ethics and analytic philosophy (27:33) Care and 'good' care (30:46) Positive, negative and neutral caring actions (32:57) The factors that make caring actions 'good' (36:43) Ira's current research on medical law and care ethics (39:26) Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode Amrita Banerjee Virginia Held Joan Tronto Daniel Engster Steven Steyl (see Episode 10) Stephanie Collins Bernard Williams Philippa Foot Iris Murdoch Jonathan Herring Some of the publications discussed in the episode Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development Cynthia A. Stark, 'Abstraction and Justification in Moral Theory' Steven Steyl, 'A Care Ethical Theory of Right Action' Stephanie Collins, The Core of Care Ethics For a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack

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