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 supporting people with intellectual disabilities, with an emphasis on active support and supported decision-making. He was recently appointed as Course Coordinator and Head Lecturer of the Masters in Disability Practice at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Aaron’s academic interests include social worlds of disability and disability care, world-building, identity and memory, gender and masculinities, philosophy of self and other, disability politics of inclusion, emotional experience, and the phenomenology of bereavement.

Aaron’s doctoral research, which explored the practical and emotional realities of intensive caregiving for fathers of children with profound physical and intellectual disabilities, formed the basis of his book Worlds of Care: The Emotional Lives of Fathers Caring for Children with Disabilities, which was published in 2021.

We explore the following topics in this episode:

Aaron's personal and academic journey to researching fatherhood, care and disability (02:34)

Aaron's ethnographic research with fathers of children with disabilities in the United States (06:52)

The combination of narrative, creative and academic styles of writing in 'Worlds of Care' (09:55)

Aaron's inclusion of his personal experience of caregiving in his research and writing (13:26)

The influence of key theorists on Aaron's thinking (18:04)

How parenting a child with a disability disrupts personal life narratives (20:55)

The focus on emotions in Aaron's research (24:25)

The role of memory and past experiences on caregiving in the present (28:33)

Fathers reframing their identities as a result of parenting a child with a disability (32:10)

Men, masculinities and care (35:33)

The influences on men's caregiving (38:15)

Embodied caregiving as a form of moral education (41:46)

Parents' mutual support as 'moral cosmopolitan communities' (44:20)

Aaron's experience of serious illness and becoming a receiver of care (47:53)

Paternalistic relationships in medical practice (50:10)

Improving care for people with disabilities and support for their families (53:19)

Aaron's plans for future research (56:45)

Some of Aaron's other publications

'The social framing of diagnoses and empathetic listening'

'When Doctor's Don't Listen'

'Embodied Spaces, Cosmopolitanism and Corporeal Diversity'

'Attuned Fathering and the Moral Dimensions of Caregiving'

'Between us: Facilitated decision-making in the relational experience of profound intellectual disability'

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, academic and researcher, and is currently Professor of Applied and Social Theatre at the University of Manchester. James’ professional practice has included ten years developing arts programmes in prisons and over fifteen years documenting and supporting arts projects in sites of armed conflict and humanitarian disaster. He helped to set up the TiPP Centre, which develops participatory arts projects in prison contexts, and also In Place of War, a global organisation that uses artistic creativity in places impacted by conflict.

James’ books include Performance Affects: Applied Theatre and the End of Effect and Performance in Place of War, both published in 2009, and Humanitarian Performance: from Disaster Tragedies to Spectacles of War, from 2014. He also co-edited the collection Performing Care: New Perspectives on Socially Engaged Performance, which was published in 2020. James’ most recent book is Care Aesthetics: For Artful Care and Careful Art, which came out in 2023. He currently leads a cross-disciplinary team of theatre and nursing academics and practitioners working on the Care Aesthetics Research Exploration project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which explores what happens when we consider care a craft of artful practice.

We explore the following topics in this episode:

James' work in prisons and the activities of the TiPP Centre (03:00)

James' experience in conflict zones and the work of 'In Place of War' (05:38)

The personal roots of James' interest in care aesthetics (08: 04)

The genesis of 'Care Aesthetics' during the COVID-19 pandemic (11:00)

'Clapping for carers' as an aesthetic experience (12:33)

Towards an alternative aesthetics (14:38)

Relational aesthetics (18:23)

'In between' aesthetics (21:00)

Self care and care for the other (22:52)

The influence of feminist care ethics (25:00)

Connecting intimate care with care for the wider community (27:52)

Care as performance (31:14)

Art, play and care (34:43)

An aesthetic critique of care (37:13)

Towards a dramaturgy of care (40:42)

Everyday care aesthetics (43:51)

Slow art and slow care (45:50)

A care aesthetics manifesto (47:30)

The Care Aesthetics Research Exploration Project (49:35)

The Care Lab and the future of care aesthetics (52:47)

Some...

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 of Auckland in New Zealand, where he also completed an M.A. in politics and international relations. He then studied for a PhD, at the University of Notre Dame Australia, where his thesis was entitled ‘Towards an Aristotelian Theory of Care: A Comparison of Neo-Aristotelian Virtue Ethics with Feminist Ethics of Care, and the Fundaments of a Virtue Ethical Theory of Care.’ Steven has been a visiting researcher at Oxford, at the University of Minnesota and at Arizona State University, and he currently teaches at UNDA’s Sydney campus where he will shortly be taking up a new post coordinating the national bioethics curriculum. Steven is also in the process of completing postgraduate legal training with the New Zealand Law Society and from July he'll have a licence to practice law. He has published a number of journal articles in the field of care ethics, exploring the nature of caring actions, the relationship between care ethics and virtue ethics, and queer care ethics. With Daniel Engster, Steven is co-editing a forthcoming collection on care and moral theory.

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

The origins of Steven's interest in care theory (02:55)

Care and the virtues (05:43)

Care ethics and analytic philosophy (19:46)

Caring actions (23:14)

Queering care ethics (30:18)

Conversion therapy and the ethics of care (37:42)

Care theory and invisible disabilities (41:27)

Care ethics and migration (45:57)

Steven's plans for the future - philosophy or the law? (48:17)

Links to some of Steven's publications

'The Virtue of Care' (2019)

'Caring Actions' (2019)

'A Care Ethical Theory of Right Action' (2020)

'Theologically Motivated Conversion Therapy and Care Epistemology' in Care Ethics, Religion and Spiritual Traditions

Other publications discussed in the episode

Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman, Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life

Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development

Lynne Huffer, Are the Lips a Grave? A Queer Feminist on the Ethics of Sex

Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episode

Aristotle

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’s interdisciplinary research group for the study of death, dying, loss and grief across the life course. Erica is editor of the international, interdisciplinary journal Mortality and one of the editors overseeing the book series Death and Culture for Bristol University Press. Her doctoral research at the University of Cambridge ethnographically examined English end-of-life care - from policy, to practice, to everyday experiences, focusing on choice and advance care planning. With Simon Cohn and Annelieke Driessen, Erica worked on the Forms of Care project, which critically examined non-intervention in end of life care. With a range of collaborators across projects, Erica has also explored how palliative and end of life care are provided in various contexts, including in acute hospital settings, hospices, and through doula provision. Recently, one of Erica’s main research projects has been focused on understanding how people interpret and use the Ambitions Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care, a project funded by NHS England and Marie Curie. Erica is the author or co-author of many articles and book chapters. She has co-edited two collections on research methodology, Researching Death, Dying and Bereavement and Unpacking Sensitive Research: Epistemological and Methodological Implications. With Sharon Mallon, she co-edited the collection Narratives of COVID: Loss, Dying, Death and Grief during COVID-19.

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

The origins of Erica's academic interest in end of life care (03:02)

Erica's international background and its influence on her thinking about palliative care (04:35)

Erica's doctoral research on choice in end of life care (08:38)

Family practices and relationships at the end of life (13:25)

Critiquing the 'compassionate care' discourse (16:55)

Ethnographically analysing the Liverpool Care Pathway (20:46)

'Non-intervention' as a form of care (27:15)

The patient as human versus the patient as person (29:33)

Intimacy and proximity in the context of a global pandemic (34:03)

Loss, dying, death and grief during COVID-19 (37:15)

Research and education on death and dying at The Open University...

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 at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht in the Netherlands and the co-founder, with Mai-Britt Guldin, of the Center for Grief and Existential Values, which is based in Aarhus, Denmark. Originally trained as a theologian, Carlo has worked in the fields of moral theology, medical ethics, care ethics and spirituality. His publications in English include Living with God: Thomas Aquinas on the Relation between Life on Earth and ‘Life' after Death, published in 1997, the influential book Art of Living, Art of Dying: Spiritual Care for a Good Death, from 2017, and, with Finn Thorbjørn Hansen and Solveig Botnen Eide, the edited collection Wonder, Silence, and Human Flourishing: Toward a Rehumanization of Health, Education, and Welfare, which was published in 2023. Grief and Existential Awareness: an Integrative Approach, co-written with Mai-Britt Guldin, will be published later this year.

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

Carlo's journey from theology to care ethics (02:45)

The philosophers and writers who have influenced Carlo's thinking (06:58)

The Masters programme in Care Ethics at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht (08:15)

'Art of Living, Art of Dying' (13:23)

The concept of 'inner space' (17:02)

The art of dying model in practice (22:24)

The relevance of the model in a secular and multicultural society (26:19)

A care-ethical approach to euthanasia and assisted dying (30:15)

The Center for Grief and Existential Values (36:32)

An integrative process model of grief and loss (41:57)

'Wonder, Silence and Human Flourishing' (46:49)

The concept of resonance (49:38)

'Wonder Labs' and their relevance for care practice (54:42)

Carlo's plans for future research and writing (57:04)

Links to some of Carlo's publications

'Living with God: Thomas Aquinas on the Relation between Life on Earth and "Life" after Death'

'Art of Living, Art of Dying: Spiritual Care for a Good Death'

'Wonder, Silence, and Human Flourishing: Toward a Rehumanization of Health, Education, and Welfare'

'The integrated process model of loss and grief – an interprofessional understanding’

Other publications mentioned in the episode

Hans-Georg Gadamer, 'Truth and Method'

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-Sorbonne, working at the intersection of philosophy, dance, and care ethics. She also directs a dance theatre company and leads contact dance improvisation workshops in clinical settings. Christine is the author of Phénoménologie de la danse: De la chair à l'éthique, published in 2021, which develops original and intriguing connections between the experience of dance and the practice of care. She is also the author of La phénoménologie, published in 2018, a useful introduction to some key phenomenological thinkers, and of Le corps, from 2022. With Chiara Palermo, Christine edited the collection Pesanteur et portance: Une éthique de la gravité, also published in 2022. Although most of Christine’s writings have yet to be translated from French, she is the author of a forthcoming article in English, ‘Performance and bodily anchoring of care: dance’s power to care’, which will be published later this year.

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

Christine's training in dance and philosophy (03:03)

The influence of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and other phenomenological thinkers on Christine's work (05:40)

Phénoménologie de la danse (09:10)

Dance as an ethical activity and the bodily anchoring of care (11:26)

'Kinaesthetic empathy' (15:15)

Kinaesthetic empathy in the dance works of Angelin Preljocaj (21:40)

The influence of Donald Winnicott on Christine's thinking (24:01)

Dance, care and self-care (27:18)

Dance, empathy and disability (28:27)

The concept of portance (33:50)

Translating 'care' (37:25)

Christine's work with 'Clown Up' (41:05)

Working with dance in clinical settings (46:05)

Plans for future research (48:45)

Links to a selection of Christine's publications

Phénoménologie de la danse: De la chair à l'éthique

La phénoménologie

Le corps

Pesanteur et portance: Une éthique de la gravité

Other publications, artworks and organisations mentioned in the episode

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, 'Eye and Mind'

Susan Lanzoni, Empathy: A History

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Émile, ou De l’éducation

Wim Vandekeybus, Blush

Angelin Preljocaj, Le Parc

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 Affiliate Faculty in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, at Portland State University in Oregon in the United States. He is the author or editor of 16 books, including the ground-breaking Embodied Care: Jane Addams, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Feminist Care Ethics (2004), Care Ethics and Political Theory, co-edited with Daniel Engster (2015), and Care Ethics and Poetry, co-written with Ce Rosenow (2019). Maurice’s most recent book, Revolutionary Care: Commitment and Ethos, was published in March 2024.

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Maurice's journey to care ethics (02:45)

Maurice's encounter with feminism (06:07)

Care, embodiment and the philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty (08:25)

Care as 'habit' and the development of caring masculinities (11:30)

Jane Addams and social habits of care (18:18)

Care, imagination and poetry (23:13)

Care ethics and politics (29:12)

Care ethics and religion (32:52)

'Revolutionary Care' (37:29)

The transformative potential of care (44:35)

Non-western traditions and practices of care (49:43)

Creating a caring economy (52:53)

Care, animals and posthumanism (56:38)

The 'care movement' and progressive politics (59:35)

Maurice's current work and forthcoming publications (01:04:18)

Links to a selection of Maurice's publications

Revealing Male Bodies

Embodied Care: Jane Addams, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Feminist Care Ethics

Care Ethics and Political Theory

Care Ethics and Poetry

Care Ethics, Religion, and Spiritual Traditions

Revolutionary Care: Commitment and Ethos

Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in this episode

Carol Gilligan

Nell Noddings

bell hooks

Nancy Tuana

Mark Johnson

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Jane...

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 of the questions we explore in this episode, with Ruth Groenhout, a Distinguished Professor of Health Ethics in the Department of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Ruth's research in healthcare ethics has focussed on issues of gender, health systems and organisations, and health policy. She has published widely on care ethics, bioethics, feminism and faith, and her many books include Connected Lives: Human Nature and an Ethics of Care (2004), Bioethics: a Reformed Look at Life and Death Choice (2009) and Care Ethics and Social Structures in Medicine (2019).

We cover the following topics in this episode:

The origins of Ruth's interest in healthcare ethics (02:14)

Feminism and faith as key influences on Ruth's thinking about care (05:20)

Connected Lives (06:20)

Care ethics as an alternative philosophical perspective on what makes us human (07:30)

Feminist care ethicists who have shaped Ruth's thinking (09:49)

St. Augustine, Emmanuel Levinas and care theory (12:35)

Human flourishing as an ethical ideal for care (21:55)

Contemporary dilemmas in health care (25:25)

The limitations of evidence-based practice (31:15)

The ethics of healthcare economics (33:15)

End-of-life care (35:45)

Patient power (39:30)

Forgiveness and care (42:33)

Ruth's current work and forthcoming publications (46:15)

Links to a selection of Ruth's publications

Philosophy, Feminism and Faith

Connected Lives: Human Nature and an Ethics of Care

Bioethics: a Reformed Look at Life and Death Choices

Care Ethics and Social Structures in Medicine

'Care Ethics and Forgiveness: Lessons and Errors from the Christian Tradition' in Care Ethics, Religion and Spiritual Traditions

(links to Ruth's forthcoming publications will be added soon)

Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in this episode

Nell Noddings

Eva Feder Kittay

Joan Tronto

Virginia Held

Sara Ruddick

Martin Buber