Careful Thinking
Careful Thinking is a podcast about the meaning and practice of care, hosted by Martin Robb. It explores what good care is, how identity and social context shape caring experiences, and how research and theory can improve care. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a researcher, writer, or practitioner. The show encourages listeners to think critically about care and to care more thoughtfully.
Episodes
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 f
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 Sch
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 so
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
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
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. Ze
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 ph
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 discu
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
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
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 Mc
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 equi
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.
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 Stu
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 fi
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 episo
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 expl
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 Net
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
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
Empathy, emotions and the ethics of love - with Susi Ferrarello
What role do emotions play in individual and societal wellbeing? How can we ensure that we are emotionally present in caregiving and in our professional lives? What is the difference between true and 'empty' empathy? And what can phenomenology, and philosophical ideas generally, contribute to the development of an ethic of love, or an ethic of care?These are some of the questions we explore in thi
A Muslim feminist ethic of care - with Sarah Munawar
In what ways do medical racism and ableism shape Muslim families' experiences of healthcare services? How can Islamic spirituality and Qur'anic stories provide resources to support caregivers and receivers of care? Does care ethics need to be decolonised? And what are the implications of a Muslim feminist ethic of care for thinking about illness, disability and reproductive care?These are some of
Fatherhood, care and disability - with Aaron Jackson
How do parents of children with disabilities create meaningful lives? In what ways do past experiences shape fathers' caregiving in the present? And how is men's care for their disabled children influenced by social norms of masculinity?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Aaron Jackson. Aaron is an anthropologist whose research focuses primarily on best practices for s
Care aesthetics - with James Thompson
What does it mean to describe care as 'beautiful'? Is caring an art, and if so, what would 'artful' care (and careful art) look like? And how might an aesthetics of care transform how we think, not only about interpersonal care, but also about broader social relationships?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode of the podcast, with James Thompson. James is a theatre practitioner
The virtue of care - with Steven Steyl
Is care a virtue? And what is the relationship between care ethics and virtue ethics? Is there a need to 'queer' care ethics? And what does an ethic of care have to say about the needs of marginalised groups like migrants and those with invisible disabilities?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Steven Steyl. Steven studied law, philosophy and politics at the University
Care at the end of life - with Erica Borgstrom
In what sense are death and dying relational experiences? Why is 'choice' a problematic concept in end of life care? And when might a decision not to intervene be viewed as a form of care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Erica Borgstrom. Erica is a Professor of Medical Anthropology at The Open University, where she leads Open Thanatology, the university’
Spiritual care - with Carlo Leget
How can religious traditions regarding death and dying be adapted for a modern secular culture? What can the concept of 'inner space' contribute to understanding and improving care for the dying and support for the bereaved? And what role do moments of wonder play in the practice of care?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Carlo Leget. Carlo is Professor of Care Ethics
Dance, empathy and care - with Christine Leroy
What is the connection between dance and care, and in what sense can dance be described as an ethical activity? What does it mean to say that empathy is anchored in the body? And what are the implications for the practice of care and for care ethics?These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode, with Christine Leroy. Christine is a researcher at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorb
Revolutionary care - with Maurice Hamington
What roles do the body and the imagination play in care? What is the relationship between care ethics and political activism? And how might a commitment to care be personally and socially transformative?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Maurice Hamington, one of the world's leading authorities on care ethics and care theory. Maurice is Professor of Philosophy, and Aff
Feminism, faith and healthcare ethics - with Ruth Groenhout
What are some of the connections - and tensions - between feminism, religious faith and healthcare ethics? In what ways does a feminist ethic of care offer an alternative to the dominant tradition in Western philosophy? And what can care ethics contribute to some of the difficult debates in contemporary healthcare, for example around new reproductive technologies and assisted dying? These are some
Care ethics, phenomenology, politics and play - with Petr Urban
What is ‘care ethics’ and what are some of the current themes and debates in the ethics of care? How are care, art, play – and democracy - connected? And what can the work of phenomenological thinkers, such as Edith Stein, contribute to an understanding of care?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Petr Urban, a senior researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Cze
Care and cosmopolitanism - with Nigel Rapport
How can we care for others while respecting their individuality? What is meant by a cosmopolitan ethos and how might it motivate care? And can institutions really 'care'? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Nigel Rapport, Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology at St Andrews University in Scotland, founding director of the Centre for Cosmopolitan Studies, and the auth
Care, conscience and hospitality - with Xavier Symons
How can a personalist perspective contribute to a better understanding of the experience of people living with dementia? What does it mean to offer hospitality to those in need of care? And why is it important to respect the conscience, and the right to conscientious objection, of healthcare practitioners? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Xavier Symons, a postdoctor
Relational care - with Mary Larkin and Manik Deepak-Gopinath
What is 'relational care' and how can it improve the day-to-day experience of carers and those they care for? What are its implications for relationships between staff and service users in care settings? And how does the concept of relational care enable us to re-imagine the role of place and space in the experience of care? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode with Mary Lark
