Motherhood vs The Machine

Theos
  • 5.0 (2)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Motherhood offers a unique insight into what it is to be human: interdependence, sacrifice, love, care, hope and vulnerability (all of which are key to a Christian understanding of personhood). The work of motherhood has always been changed by technological advancement: from the nipple shield to the feeding bottle and breast pump. But as technological advancement accelerates and a future of artificial wombs and ‘bio bags’ does not seem as far-fetched as it once did, what of the humanity of motherhood might be lost if it is outsourced to machines?

Episodes

  1. 6D AGO

    Pregnancy & birthing: Could machines have our babies?

    Warning: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy and childbirth, including birth trauma and child loss. Chine and Maddy go back to the beginning, and explore the physical and spiritual changes that takes place in pregnancy, and the embodied nature of giving birth. How has something that is a universal human experience come to signify something alien and traumatic? How does becoming a mum alter the sense of individualism Western society pushes us towards, and open our eyes to interdependence? In a so-called post-religious age, have we lost some of the rituals that recognise the transition to motherhood as a transcendent, spiritual and existential experience? We discuss the ways in which machines help women and their babies thrive; but as scientific advancement accelerates, how might the prospect of growing babies in artificial wombs or ‘bio-bags’ affect the place of mother and challenge our conceptions of what it really means to be human?  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Motherhood vs. the Machine 03:11 Exploring the Complexity of Mothering Work 05:01 Personal Experiences of Pregnancy and Childbirth 11:20 Cultural Narratives and the Experience of Labor 17:49 The Role of Community and Support in Motherhood 23:21 Racial Inequality in Maternal Health 29:52 The Future of Pregnancy: Technology and Machines 38:11 The Transformative Nature of Motherhood 45:14 Conclusion and Reflection on Motherhood Featured in this episode: Theologian Rachel Muers, chair of divinity at the University of Edinburgh; writer Mary Harrington, contributing editor of Unherd, and author of Feminism Against Progress; Lucy Jones, author of Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood; Professor Dominic Wilkinson, medical ethicist and neonatal intensive care doctor Keywords motherhood, pregnancy, childbirth, technology, maternal health, cultural narratives, community support, racial inequality, personal experiences, future of pregnancy The Team 🎙️ Hosts: Chine McDonald (@ChineMcDonald) and Madeleine Penninton (@mlmpennington) 🎬 Executive producer: Stephanie Tam 🎧 Audio editor and sound engineer: David Benjamin Blower 🎛️ Recording engineer and assistant producer: Daniel Turner   💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ With thanks to the Fetzer Institute

    48 min

  2. MAR 13

    Work: Could machines take over the work of mothering?

    Intensive mothering. Parental burnout. The juggle is real. The series opens with a look at the relationship and distinctions between paid work and the unpaid work of mothering; the differences between intellectual and bodily work, and where mothering fits into all this. Is a woman’s place in the home, or the workplace, and what pressures or opportunities arise when mothers are in both? Chine and Maddy discuss the realities of being pregnant and becoming mothers while working, and speak to experts about how motherhood and work have changed over the centuries, exploring how machines have shaped the experience of working women. This is a podcast for everyone. All those with questions about what it means to be a person rather than a machine, and exactly where the distinction lies. Chapters 00:00 The Struggles of New Motherhood 03:00 Exploring the Nature of Motherhood 05:59 The Intersection of Work and Motherhood 09:00 The Hidden Labor of Mothering 11:59 The Historical Context of Motherhood and Work 18:56 The Economic Value of Motherhood 25:12 The Evolution of Child Benefit and Feminism 29:31 The Impact of the Pandemic on Gender Roles 32:34 The Interdependence of Motherhood 36:01 Intensive Mothering in the Modern Age 40:22 The Complexity of Mothering Work 46:30 The Value of Mothering in Society 51:14 Exploring the Future of Motherhood Featured in this episode: The Bear Cubs toddler group in London; Lucy Jones, author of Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood; Professor Helen McCarthy of Cambridge University, author of Double Lives: A History of Working Motherhood Dr Charlotte Faircloth, Associate Professor in the Social Research Institute at UCL, and Mary Harrington, contributing editor of Unherd, and author of Feminism Against Progress; speak to Chine at Howthelightgetsin festival; and theologian and writer Laura Fabrycky.  Keywords motherhood, technology, work-life balance, societal expectations, maternal experience, historical context, economic value, motherhood and work, motherhood struggles, motherhood insights, motherhood, feminism, child benefit, pandemic, gender roles, intensive mothering, caregiving, societal value, interdependence, childcare The Team: 🎙️ Hosts: Chine McDonald (@ChineMcDonald) and Madeleine Penninton (@mlmpennington) 🎬 Executive producer: Stephanie Tam 🎧 Audio editor and sound engineer: David Benjamin Blower 🎛️ Recording engineer and assistant producer: Daniel Turner   💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ With thanks to the Fetzer Institute

    53 min

  3. TRAILER

    Trailer: Motherhood vs The Machine

    Welcome to our new four-part documentary podcast, Motherhood vs The Machine, where hosts Chine McDonald and Dr Madeleine Pennington look at what motherhood teaches us about what it means to be human. The work of motherhood has always been changed by technological advancement: from the nipple shield to the feeding bottle and breast pump. But as technological advancement accelerates and a future of artificial wombs and ‘bio bags’ does not seem as far-fetched as it once did, what of the humanity of motherhood might be lost if it is outsourced to machines? What might we miss when the maternal doorway is closed to profound and rarely expressed spiritual ideas - such as sacrifice, love, care, value, dignity, and hope? 🎙️ Follow Chine McDonald: @ChineMcDonald 🎙️ Follow Dr Madeleine Pennington: @mlmpennington 💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/

    2 min

    Trailer

    Ratings & Reviews

    5
    out of 5
    2 Ratings

    About

    Motherhood offers a unique insight into what it is to be human: interdependence, sacrifice, love, care, hope and vulnerability (all of which are key to a Christian understanding of personhood). The work of motherhood has always been changed by technological advancement: from the nipple shield to the feeding bottle and breast pump. But as technological advancement accelerates and a future of artificial wombs and ‘bio bags’ does not seem as far-fetched as it once did, what of the humanity of motherhood might be lost if it is outsourced to machines?

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