The Sex, Research & Resistance Podcast

The OU Research Group on Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health
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The Sex, Research & Resistance Podcast

The podcast is about creating a space for fellow practitioners, researchers and activists to learn more about key issues on reproduction, sexualities and sexual health. The podcast series is based on seminars held by the research group with topics including LGBTIQ rights, abortion, youth, HIV and sexual health.

  1. E10 Part 2: Youth SRHR in Island, Remote and Rural Spaces

    5 DAYS AGO

    E10 Part 2: Youth SRHR in Island, Remote and Rural Spaces

    In Part 2 of this episode, Open University researcher Elizabeth Ascroft invites guests Ashlee Beatrice-Burnett, Dr Rebecah MacGilleEathain and Isabel Steele to explore youth sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in rural and island communities. This conversation explores the strategies for working in collaboration with communities in for the enhancement of SRHR. Drawing from their own work, the guest speakers discuss taking a whole-school approach to sexuality education, innovative contraceptive delivery services and online support platforms for young people. The guests also delve into the dynamics of being an ‘insider’ versus an ‘outsider’ in research initiatives or programme delivery services. Ultimately, the discussion emphasises the significance of creating safe spaces for youth engagement, and the necessity of destigmatizing conversations around sexual health. Resources mentioned in the episode: ⁠Sexual well-being among young people in remote rural island communities in Scotland: a mixed methods study | BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health⁠⁠Cool2Talk⁠⁠Famia Planea Aruba⁠  Biographies ⁠Elizabeth Ascroft⁠ is an ESRC-funded doctoral researcher at the Open University in partnership with Famia Planea Aruba and IPPF. Her current research explores ⁠arts-based, co-creative approaches⁠ to sexuality education with young people in Aruba, and her previous work ⁠investigated gender violence and sexuality education in Barbados.⁠ With a focus on small island contexts, Elizabeth’s research considers how the concept of ‘islandness’ moulds SRHR discourses in the international development sector. Elizabeth is a keen bean for learning and is most inspired when in a room with other activists, researchers and creatives working in the advancement of young people’s SRHR. ⁠Ashlee Burnett⁠ is a Trinbagonian educator, organiser, and researcher, serving as ⁠IPPF’s⁠ Global Lead on Comprehensive Sexuality Education; leading on CSE partnerships, evidence generation, and supporting MA-led initiatives like the Centre of Excellence on CSE to deliver innovative programmes and youth-centred care. She holds an MSc Education Policy and International Development from the University of Bristol and has been awarded the Colin Robinson Hard Head Award fortransformational activism in Trinidad and Tobago. Socials: ⁠Instagram⁠ and⁠ X⁠ Dr Rebecah MacGilleEathain is a Senior Specialist Lead at the ⁠National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care⁠, hosted by National Health Service (NHS) Education for Scotland. Rebecah has a background in working within PublicHealth and Heath Improvement in clinical, third sector and academic research settings. Rebecah’s specialist research subject focuses on reproductive and sexual health, sex education curriculum in schools, and access to sexual wellbeing support for underrepresented communities and young people in remote, rural and island areas. Isabel Steele is a Senior Health Improvement Office in the ⁠Public Health Department of the National Health Service (NHS) Western Isles⁠. She is local to the Outer Hebrides and has lived there most of her life and has worked with young people for over 35 years. She has been employed by the NHS in the Western Isles for 30 years in various roles around sexual health, Blood Born Viruses, young people and substance misuse. She has gained her MSc in Health Improvement & Public Health and enjoys engaging in learning and research around issues that affect young people. She is very passionate about young people’s rights and supports the principles of the UNCRC to ensure that children & young people have the information they need to keep themselves safe.

    35 min
  2. E10 Part 1: Youth SRHR in Island, Remote and Rural Spaces

    5 DAYS AGO

    E10 Part 1: Youth SRHR in Island, Remote and Rural Spaces

    In Part 1 of this episode, Open University researcher Elizabeth Ascroft invites guests Ashlee Beatrice-Burnett, Dr Rebecah MacGilleEathain and Isabel Steele to explore youth sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in rural and island communities. The guests share insights from their work in the Scottish Hebrides and Western Isles, Aruba, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The conversation highlights the unique challenges faced by young people in contexts where “everyone knows everyone”. The guests outline the diversity of local cultures between islands, and advocate for tailored strategies to improve SRHR education and access.    Resources mentioned in the episode: Sexual well-being among young people in remote rural island communities in Scotland: a mixed methods study | BMJ Sexual & Reproductive HealthCool2TalkFamia Planea Aruba  Biographies Elizabeth Ascroft is an ESRC-funded doctoral researcher at the Open University in partnership with Famia Planea Aruba and IPPF. Her current research explores arts-based, co-creative approaches to sexuality education with young people in Aruba, and her previous work investigated gender violence and sexuality education in Barbados. With a focus on small island contexts, Elizabeth’s research considers how the concept of ‘islandness’ moulds SRHR discourses in the international development sector. Elizabeth is a keen bean for learning and is most inspired when in a room with other activists, researchers and creatives working in the advancement of young people’s SRHR. Ashlee Burnett is a Trinbagonian educator, organiser, and researcher, serving as IPPF’s Global Lead on Comprehensive Sexuality Education; leading on CSE partnerships, evidence generation, and supporting MA-led initiatives like the Centre of Excellence on CSE to deliver innovative programmes and youth-centred care. She holds an MSc Education Policy and International Development from the University of Bristol and has been awarded the Colin Robinson Hard Head Award fortransformational activism in Trinidad and Tobago. Socials: Instagram and X Dr Rebecah MacGilleEathain is a Senior Specialist Lead at the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, hosted by National Health Service (NHS) Education for Scotland. Rebecah has a background in working within PublicHealth and Heath Improvement in clinical, third sector and academic research settings. Rebecah’s specialist research subject focuses on reproductive and sexual health, sex education curriculum in schools, and access to sexual wellbeing support for underrepresented communities and young people in remote, rural and island areas. Isabel Steele is a Senior Health Improvement Office in the Public Health Department of the National Health Service (NHS) Western Isles. She is local to the Outer Hebrides and has lived there most of her life and has worked with young people for over 35 years. She has been employed by the NHS in the Western Isles for 30 years in various roles around sexual health, Blood Born Viruses, young people and substance misuse. She has gained her MSc in Health Improvement & Public Health and enjoys engaging in learning and research around issues that affect young people. She is very passionate about young people’s rights and supports the principles of the UNCRC to ensure that children & young people have the information they need to keep themselves safe.

    27 min
  3. E9 Part 2: Intersectionality in Irish abortion campaigns

    29/10/2024

    E9 Part 2: Intersectionality in Irish abortion campaigns

    “Intersectionality has been hailed as one of the most transformative theoretical developments in critical legal studies, political theory, feminist and critical race studies and its influence is felt in a range of policy areas: social work and social justice, education, urban studies. Intersectionality emerged out of activist movements and continues to be shaped by activism. So intersectionality as a theory is indivisible from intersectionality as an activist stance and approach to real-world instances of injustice and inequality.” But what is intersectionality? In this episode, Open University Professor Peter Keogh invites guests Fiona de Londras and Naomi Connor to explore the concept of intersectionality in the context of abortion law reform in the North and South of Ireland. Tracing the roots of intersectionality, the speakers offer a definition of the term and then explore how and why intersectionality is needed to contexualise abortion services in Ireland, identify the faultlines in reproductive health and rights and forge solidarities across movements. ”In a truly intersectional space, your colleagues will force you to stop and think again about what you think the answers must be, and how that can be rooted in the structures that are deeply oppressive” (Fiona de Londras). ”We are hailed as having the best abortion law in perhaps the world, but it’s the application of that is where the intersections fall away” (Naomi Connor). Biographies Peter Keogh is Professor of Health and Society at the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. His background is in community-based research and knowledge co-creation in the areas of HIV, LGBT+ health and rights and reproductive justice. For many years, Peter was qualitative research lead for Sigma Research and a Qualitative Research Director at NatCen Social Research. Fiona de Londras is Director of Research for the College of Arts and Law and Professor of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School. Her research concerns constitutionalism, human rights, and transnationalism. She is particularly interested in the role and function of rights in contentious policy fields, inquiring into how (if at all) rights shape the making of law and policy in complex contexts of, for example, counter-terrorism, reproductive rights, government and parliamentary responses to COVID-19, and the implementation of international legal standards. Professor de Londras undertakes this through her academic scholarship, public engagement, and advisory work. Naomi Connor is Co-convenor of Alliance for Choice and has been active in the campaign for decriminalisation and since then in pushing for access to legal services. Naomi is also a long-time Trade Union activist. As a woman who was forced to travel from Northern Ireland to England to access abortion services, Naomi has first hand experience of the difficulties that women and pregnant people in NI face when seeking to access abortion healthcare. She is an outspoken advocate of women’s rights and reproductive justice. Suggested reading and links Shreya Atrey (2019) Intersectional Discrimination - Shreya Atrey - Oxford University Press (oup.com) Fiona Bloomer and Emma Campbell (2022) Decriminalizing Abortion in Northern Ireland: Legislation and Protest: Fiona Bloomer: Bloomsbury Academic

    34 min
  4. E9 Part 1: Intersectionality in Irish abortion campaigns

    29/10/2024

    E9 Part 1: Intersectionality in Irish abortion campaigns

    “Intersectionality has been hailed as one of the most transformative theoretical developments in critical legal studies, political theory, feminist and critical race studies and its influence is felt in a range of policy areas: social work and social justice, education, urban studies. Intersectionality emerged out of activist movements and continues to be shaped by activism. So intersectionality as a theory is indivisible from intersectionality as an activist stance and approach to real-world instances of injustice and inequality.” But what is intersectionality? In this episode, Professor Peter Keogh invites guests Fiona de Londras and Naomi Connor to explore the context of abortion law reform in the North and South of Ireland. Tracing the roots of intersectionality, the speakers offer a definition of the term and then explore how and why intersectionality is needed to contexualise abortion services in Ireland, identify the faultlines in reproductive health and rights and forge solidarities across movements. ”In a truly intersectional space, your colleagues will force you to stop and think again about what you think the answers must be, and how that can be rooted in the structures that are deeply oppressive” (Fiona de Londras). ”We are hailed as having the best abortion law in perhaps the world, but it’s the application of that is where the intersections fall away” (Naomi Connor). Biographies Peter Keogh is Professor of Health and Society at the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. His background is in community-based research and knowledge co-creation in the areas of HIV, LGBT+ health and rights and reproductive justice. For many years, Peter was qualitative research lead for Sigma Research and a Qualitative Research Director at NatCen Social Research. Fiona de Londras is Director of Research for the College of Arts and Law and Professor of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School. Her research concerns constitutionalism, human rights, and transnationalism. She is particularly interested in the role and function of rights in contentious policy fields, inquiring into how (if at all) rights shape the making of law and policy in complex contexts of, for example, counter-terrorism, reproductive rights, government and parliamentary responses to COVID-19, and the implementation of international legal standards. Professor de Londras undertakes this through her academic scholarship, public engagement, and advisory work. Naomi Connor is Co-convenor of Alliance for Choice and has been active in the campaign for decriminalisation and since then in pushing for access to legal services. Naomi is also a long-time Trade Union activist. As a woman who was forced to travel from Northern Ireland to England to access abortion services, Naomi has first hand experience of the difficulties that women and pregnant people in NI face when seeking to access abortion healthcare. She is an outspoken advocate of women’s rights and reproductive justice. Suggested reading and links Shreya Atrey (2019) Intersectional Discrimination - Shreya Atrey - Oxford University Press (oup.com) Fiona Bloomer and Emma Campbell (2022) Decriminalizing Abortion in Northern Ireland: Legislation and Protest: Fiona Bloomer: Bloomsbury Academic

    33 min
  5. E8 part 2: Social Determinants: How social worlds shape sexual and reproductive health

    25/07/2024

    E8 part 2: Social Determinants: How social worlds shape sexual and reproductive health

    This episode is produced in collaboration with the Sex, Research and Resistance Podcast and ⁠the Centre for Study of Global Development⁠ at the Open University. Martha Nicholson (facilitator), Dr Joyce Wamoyi, Dr Kevin Deane, and Professor Peter Keogh discuss research on the social determinants of sexual and reproductive health. Drawing from different disciplines, research contexts and institutions, we explore how sexual and reproductive health is managed and negotiated in the context of structural inequality and complex social worlds. Research shows that where we live, the education and work opportunities we have access to and the gender norms we grow up with may all shape people's ability to negotiate risks and manage a disease like HIV. In part 2, we explore the social determinants that may make someone more likely to engage in risky behaviours and contract a sexually transmitted disease. Peter, Joyce and Kevin present solutions to the challenges of research on social determinants. We end part 2 of this episode with proposals for a bold and multidisciplinary research agenda for the future. Bios Joyce Wamoyi: Social and Behavioural researcher at the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania. Joyce has an MSc in community health and a PhD in social and Behavioural Sciences. For over 20 years, Dr. Wamoyi has worked on: Adolescents and Young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) behaviour; Structural drivers of SRH risk; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; Parenting/ families and child outcomes; stigma and discrimination in access to SRH services; and qualitative and participatory research methods. In her work, she has explored the dynamics of transactional sex in adolescents and young women's sexual relationships in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently working on the evaluation of the quality of implementation for the scale up of the Parenting for Lifelong Health programme in Tanzania. She is a member of the WHO Behavioural Insights Technical Advisory Group and UNICEF Advisory Board for a multi-country project. Peter Keogh: Professor of Health and Society at the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. Peter’s background is in community-based research and knowledge co-creation in the areas of HIV, LGBT+ health and rights and reproductive justice. Peter’s research focuses on the role of intimacy, embodiment, affect and materiality in people’s experiences of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. He engages critically with contemporary SRHR epistemologies drawing on biomedicalization, post-colonial and Marxist theory. Peter is involved in many projects which involve the co-creation of useful and applied knowledges with, by and for key communities. Kevin Deane: Senior Lecturer and interdisciplinary specialist in Economics, Political Economy and International Development. Research interests focus on the political economy of health with an application to the HIV epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa. Kevin has worked on a range of topics related to HIV including gender, migration, workplace programmes, HIV testing and the relationship between socio-economic status and HIV. He is also interested in the political and social determinants of malaria. Kevin is primarily a qualitative researcher with experience of conducting fieldwork in East Africa. Martha Nicholson (facilitator): PhD Student in the Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health research group at the Open University in the UK. Current research is a feminist ethnography on how nurses and midwives learn about abortion care in Northern Ireland. Working with a group of nurses and midwives, Martha is mapping out how abortion knowledge is produced, and how centres of learning and work may distort, silence and challenge access to that knowledge through dialogues, processes, and organisational texts.

    32 min
  6. E8 Part 1: Social Determinants: How social worlds shape sexual and reproductive health

    25/07/2024

    E8 Part 1: Social Determinants: How social worlds shape sexual and reproductive health

    This episode is produced in collaboration with the Sex, Research and Resistance Podcast and the Centre for Study of Global Development at the Open University.  Martha Nicholson (facilitator), Dr Joyce Wamoyi, Dr Kevin Deane, and Professor Peter Keogh discuss research on the social determinants of sexual and reproductive health. Drawing from different disciplines, research contexts and institutions, we explore how sexual and reproductive health is managed and negotiated in the context of structural inequality and complex social worlds. Research shows that where we live, the education and work opportunities we have access to and the gender norms we grow up with may all shape people's ability to negotiate risks and manage a disease like HIV. In part 1, we critique the WHO definition of the social determinants of health, drawing from examples to show the importance of including social determinants in research on sexual and reproductive health. They share experiences of researching HIV in the UK and Tanzania and discuss how the disease has evolved from an ‘individual’ to a ‘social’ issue, relevant to social scientists as much as medical professionals. Bios Joyce Wamoyi: Social and Behavioural researcher at the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania. Joyce has an MSc in community health and a PhD in social and Behavioural Sciences. For over 20 years, Dr. Wamoyi has worked on: Adolescents and Young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) behaviour; Structural drivers of SRH risk; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; Parenting/ families and child outcomes; stigma and discrimination in access to SRH services; and qualitative and participatory research methods. In her work, she has explored the dynamics of transactional sex in adolescents and young women's sexual relationships in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently working on the evaluation of the quality of implementation for the scale up of the Parenting for Lifelong Health programme in Tanzania. She is a member of the WHO Behavioural Insights Technical Advisory Group and UNICEF Advisory Board for a multi-country project. Peter Keogh: Professor of Health and Society at the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. Peter’s background is in community-based research and knowledge co-creation in the areas of HIV, LGBT+ health and rights and reproductive justice. Peter’s research focuses on the role of intimacy, embodiment, affect and materiality in people’s experiences of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. He engages critically with contemporary SRHR epistemologies drawing on biomedicalization, post-colonial and Marxist theory. Peter is involved in many projects which involve the co-creation of useful and applied knowledges with, by and for key communities. Kevin Deane: Senior Lecturer and interdisciplinary specialist in Economics, Political Economy and International Development. Research interests focus on the political economy of health with an application to the HIV epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa. Kevin has worked on a range of topics related to HIV including gender, migration, workplace programmes, HIV testing and the relationship between socio-economic status and HIV. He is also interested in the political and social determinants of malaria. Kevin is primarily a qualitative researcher with experience of conducting fieldwork in East Africa. Martha Nicholson (facilitator): PhD Student in the Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health research group at the Open University in the UK. Current research is a feminist ethnography on how nurses and midwives learn about abortion care in Northern Ireland. Working with a group of nurses and midwives, Martha is mapping out how abortion knowledge is produced, and how centres of learning and work may distort, silence and challenge access to that knowledge through dialogues, processes, and organisational texts.

    30 min
  7. E7 Part 1: Navigating Girlhood: A closer look at the international development sector

    10/07/2024

    E7 Part 1: Navigating Girlhood: A closer look at the international development sector

    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 Elizabeth Ascroft (co-founder of the podcast), we discuss girlhood in the context of international development. We are joined by Dr Jane Doka and Dr Alison Buckler, both experienced researchers in the field of education, inclusion, and youth transitions. In Part 1, we focus on the idea of girlhood and identify some of the tensions around these narratives in the international development sector. Drawing from their own research in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, the UK, Ghana and Kenya, Jane and Alison speak to girls’ agency in navigating girlhood and how this may differ at home, the community or within development-based programmes. This two-part episode is a window into some of the issues that arise with dominant narratives around what youth transition should look like. The speakers advocate for celebrating alternative transition pathways and provide examples of how to better align our research approaches with girls’ realities.  Bios: Dr Jane Doka is a Research Associate in International Education and Development at the Open University. She recently completed PhD research focused on the agency and education of marginalised girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her expertise lies in the intersection of girls’ education and youth transitions. Currently, Jane is a co-researcher on the OpenSTEM Africa project, an initiative aimed at enhancing girls' transitions into tertiary education, specifically within STEM-related subjects, through stakeholder engagement across West and East Africa. She is experienced in narrative research approaches and participatory action-based methodologies. Dr Doka is an active member of the Centre for the Study of Global Development, where she collaborates with other experts to address global educational challenges and promote sustainable development.  Dr Alison Buckler is a Senior Research Fellow at The Open University where she is a convenor of the International Education research group and Deputy Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development. Her work focuses on using creative and narrative approaches to researching education, and she is the co-founder of the Ibali Network which supports people interested in using storytelling methodologies. She also co-leads a research strand of the SAGE (Supporting Adolescent Girls' Education) Programme, which is an FCDO-funded collaboration between the OU and Plan International. Elizabeth Ascroft is a PhD research at Open University and her research explores the process of co-creating sexuality education materials with young people in Aruba. Prior to her PhD Elizabeth worked at Girl Effect, a programme provider for girls and young women in development contexts. Elizabeth is a researcher, activist and a creative and is most inspired when delving into her never-ending creative methods. Follow us on X: @JaneDoka @AlisonBucklerEd @ElizAscroft This episode has been produced by Elizabeth Ascroft.

    29 min
  8. E7 Part 2: Navigating Girlhood: A closer look at the international development sector

    10/07/2024

    E7 Part 2: Navigating Girlhood: A closer look at the international development sector

    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 two-part episode, hosted by Elizabeth Ascroft (co-founder of the podcast), we discuss girlhood in the context of international development. We are joined by ⁠Dr Jane Doka⁠ and ⁠Dr Alison Buckler⁠, both experienced researchers in the field of education, inclusion, and youth transitions.  In Part 2, we talk about working with girls to capture the diversity of their experiences and hopes for the future. Alison and Jane provide insight into their research approaches including their use of storytelling methodologies.  This episode is a window into some of the issues that arise with dominant narratives around what youth transition should look like. The speakers advocate for celebrating alternative transition pathways and provide examples of how to better align our research approaches with girls’ realities.   Bios:  Dr Jane Doka is a Research Associate in International Education and Development at the Open University. She recently completed PhD research focused on the agency and education of marginalised girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her expertise lies in the intersection of girls’ education and youth transitions. Currently, Jane is a co-researcher on the OpenSTEM Africa project, an initiative aimed at enhancing girls' transitions into tertiary education, specifically within STEM-related subjects, through stakeholder engagement across West and East Africa. She is experienced in narrative research approaches and participatory action-based methodologies. Dr Doka is an active member of the Centre for the Study of Global Development, where she collaborates with other experts to address global educational challenges and promote sustainable development.  Dr Alison Buckler is a Senior Research Fellow at The Open University where she is a convenor of the International Education research group and Deputy Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development. Her work focuses on using creative and narrative approaches to researching education, and she is the co-founder of the ⁠Ibali Network⁠ which supports people interested in using storytelling methodologies. She also co-leads a research strand of the SAGE (Supporting Adolescent Girls' Education) Programme, which is an FCDO-funded collaboration between the OU and Plan International.  ⁠Elizabeth Ascroft⁠ is a PhD research at Open University and her research explores the process of co-creating sexuality education materials with young people in Aruba. Prior to her PhD Elizabeth worked at Girl Effect, a programme provider for girls and young women in development contexts. Elizabeth is a researcher, activist and a creative and is most inspired when delving into her never-ending creative methods.  Follow us on X: @JaneDoka @AlisonBucklerEd @ElizAscroft  This episode has been produced by Elizabeth Ascroft.

    35 min
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About

The podcast is about creating a space for fellow practitioners, researchers and activists to learn more about key issues on reproduction, sexualities and sexual health. The podcast series is based on seminars held by the research group with topics including LGBTIQ rights, abortion, youth, HIV and sexual health.

Information

  • Creator
    The OU Research Group on Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The OU Research Group on Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health
  • Show Website
    The Sex, Research & Resistance Podcast

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