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

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

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

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...

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

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.

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...

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...