This episode is a collaboration between the Sex, Research and Resistance Podcast and the Centre for the Global Study of Development at the Open University.
In this episode hosted by Dr Ayomide Oluseye (Member of the OU research group on Reproduction, Sexuality and Sexual Health), we explore the intersections and societal impact of shame and stigma in the diverse contexts of abortion, poverty and foster-care. We explore how societal judgment surrounding these topics creates a web of challenges for especially people on the margins while affecting their ability to take an equal part in society.
We will hear from researchers at the Open University, Dr Carrie Purcell, Dr Justin Rogers and Dr Keetie Roelen, experts on reproductive health, foster care and social protection as they walk us through the implications of stigma as an individual and systemic issue. Finally, we discuss ways to normalise and dismantle these stigmas, from policy changes that promote affordable abortion care and social safety mechanisms to shifting the harmful language and discourses.
Whether you are passionate about reproductive rights, social justice, or simply want to learn more about the entanglements of stigma and shame, this episode will give you an overview of stigma as a societal and systemic issue. Join us as we untangle the web of stigma across different social sectors.
Bios:
Dr Carrie Purcell is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at the Open University. Carrie’s background is in medical sociology and qualitative methods, and she leads the Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health Research Group. Her main research interests are around sexual and reproductive health (SRH), stigma and pain. She currently leads the Gender Pain Gap study and the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Scotland knowledge exchange project, and has led numerous studies on abortion and contraception, including the Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS). SASS took a ‘big qual’ qualitative secondary analysis approach to analysing UK datasets on abortion spanning 10+ years, to inform understanding of abortion stigma and normalisation.
Dr Justin Rogers is a lecturer in social work at The Open University and has a background working with children and young people in alternative care. He has worked in fostering and adoption teams in the UK and also managed a secure residential unit. Additionally, he has worked in leadership roles in the charity sector with responsibilities for nonprofit fostering services globally. He has also contributed to care reform projects in various countries. Justin's research interests centre around children’s and families’ experiences of alternative care.
Dr Keetie Roelen is a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Deputy Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) at the Open University, UK. Her research focuses on areas of poverty, social protection and anti-poverty interventions in relation to children, women and psychosocial wellbeing. She is also host of her own podcast Poverty Unpacked, and has previously spoken with journalist and author Mary O’Hara in an episode about shame and stigma associated with poverty.
Dr Ayomide Oluseye is a Nigerian Lecturer at The Open University. Her PhD explored the lived experiences of pregnancy, motherhood and stigma among unmarried young mothers in rural Nigeria.
This episode was produced by Elise Denis-Ramirez.