Sustainability Matters

De Gruyter Brill
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Sustainability Matters (formerly Humanities Matter)—produced by De Gruyter Brill—takes a deep dive into sustainability in scholarly communications and beyond. The podcast explores topics such as promoting diverse voices and marginalized perspectives in academia, the global accessibility of research, research ethics, combatting misinformation and more. Sustainability Matters features experts, advocates, practitioners, and De Gruyter Brill authors whose work on ethical and sustainable practices breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join us as we explore how we can shape a more equitable and accessible future for knowledge sharing—because sustainability truly matters, in scholarly publishing, and beyond.  

  1. Jun 3

    Rights, Pride & Belonging: From Gender Panic to Trans Joy

    It’s pride month, and in this episode of Sustainability Matters we discuss how queer and trans youth have always fought to shape their own futures—and why their rights have become a flashpoint in contemporary culture wars. From Gay-Straight Alliances and gender-neutral bathrooms to representation in sports and the concept of trans joy, we unpack the narratives shaping identity, belonging, and inclusion in today’s political climate. All this and more with Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm, author of “Queer and Trans Youth Political Activism,” which is Chapter 17 in the De Gruyter Handbook of Youth Activism, published by De Gruyter Brill.  Host: Ramzi Nasir Guest:  Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm Citations: 1. Sinclair-Palm, Julia. (2024). Names as a trans technology: Exploring the naming practices of trans youth in Australia, Ireland and Canada. Nordic Journal of Socio-Onomastics, 4 (1), 137-161. https://doi.org/10.59589/noso.42024.16669 2. Sinclair-Palm, Julia. (2023). The Role of Family in Trans Youths’ Naming Practices. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2023.2181450 3. Dyer, Hannah, Julia Sinclair-Palm and Miranda Yeo. (2020). "Drawing Queer and Trans Kinship with Children: Affect, Cohabitation, and Reciprocal Care." Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 42(4), 257-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2020.1724764 4. Dyer, Hannah, Julia Sinclair-Palm, Chase Joynt, Miranda Yeo, and Calla Tait. (2020). Aesthetic Expression of Queer kinship in Children’s Drawings. Journal of Canadian Studies, 54(2-3), 526-543. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/780618. 5. https://thebaffler.com/latest/reject-transgender-liberalism-gill-peterson 6. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1088&context=jqtsie 7. Tourmaline, S., Eric, A., & Burton, J. (2017). Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility. 8. Westbrook, L., & Schilt, K. (2014). Doing gender, determining gender: Transgender people, gender panics, and the maintenance of the sex/gender/sexuality system. Gender & society, 28(1), 32-57. 9.  Cruz, C. (2001). Toward an epistemology of a brown body. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 14(5), 657-669. 10. McCready, L. T. (2004). Understanding the marginalization of gay and gender non-conforming Black male students. Theory Into Practice, 43(2), 136-143. 11. Brockenbrough, E. (2015). Queer of color agency in educational contexts: Analytic frameworks from a queer of color critique. Educational Studies, 51(1), 28-44.

    47 min

  2. May 6

    Virtual, Real, Resilient: Jewish Spaces in 21st Century Europe

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we explore how Jewish Europe is being reshaped across physical and digital spaces in the 21st century. How do virtual environments change the way heritage is preserved and shared? Can digital reconstructions and online communities sustain cultural identity? What happens when these spaces are affected by rising antisemitism, shifting politics, and changing public visibility—against a longer history of loss and reconstruction? All this and more with Dr. Maja Hultman and Dr. Joachim Schlör, editors of Virtual and Real-Life Spaces of Jewish Europe in the 21st Century, published by De Gruyter Brill. Discourse on sustainable digital spaces is just one of our sustainability initiatives here at De Gruyter Brill. Explore the recent De Gruyter Brill Annual Impact Reportfor a closer look at our sustainability commitments and progress in 2025. Host: Dr. Shawn Rowlands Guests: Dr. Maja Hultman and Dr. Joachim Schlör

    58 min

  3. Apr 1

    Who Gets to Be Indigenous?

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we examine how indigeneity is defined and contested in conversations around identity, science, and sovereignty. Is it something we inherit, or a political construct? How can scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems collaborate without losing their distinct integrity? And what happens when genetic research defines belonging in ways that conflict with cultural and political self-understandings?  All this and more with Dr. Benjamin Gregg, author of “Scientific Integrity and Indigenous Justice in Genetic Research,” which is Chapter 5 in the book Indigeneity as Social Construct and Political Tool: Critique and Reconstruction of a Contested Identity, published by De Gruyter Brill.  Host: Ramzi Nasir Guest: Dr. Benjamin Gregg

    1h 13m

  4. Mar 4

    Play Like a Girl: Girlhood and Identity in Video Games

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we look at how video games are reshaping the representation of girlhood, identity, and coming-of-age through play. Why have games so often been associated with boyhood? What overlooked histories of girls’ gaming cultures challenge this narrative? And how are contemporary games challenging traditional heroic narratives with more complex stories about growing up, belonging, and self-discovery? All this and more with Dr. Stephanie Harkin, author of Girlhood Games: Gender, Identity and Coming of Age in Video Games, which is Volume 20 in the series “Video Games and the Humanities”, published by De Gruyter Brill. Host: Ramzi Nasir Guest: Dr. Stephanie Harkin

    50 min

  5. Feb 11

    The Power of Unions: Rise, Fall, Return?

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we ask: why do unions rise, why do they fall, and what does it take for them to rise again? How do leadership, strategy, and internal democracy shape their trajectory? And what can the turbulent history of a major New York transit union teach us about the labour movement today? All this and more with Dr. Marc Kagan, author of Take Back the Power: The Fall and Rise and Fall of NYC’s Transport Workers Union Local 100, 1975–2009, which is Volume 7 in the series Studies in Political Economy of Global Labor and Work, published by De Gruyter Brill. Host: Ramzi Nasir Guest: Dr. Marc Kagan

    1h 12m

  6. Jan 14

    Religion in a Culture of Digitality: Belief, Power, and Participation

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we ask: How is digital technology transforming religious belief and practice today? How does digital culture reshape religious authority, education, and governance? And how do emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence complicate questions of belief, legitimacy, and responsibility within religious communities? All this and more with Dr. Thomas Schlag and Katharina Yadav, editors of Religious Communication, Interaction and Transformation in a Culture of Digitality, published by De Gruyter Brill.  Host: Ramzi Nasir Guests: Dr. Thomas Schlag and Katharina Yadav

    43 min

  7. 12/17/2025

    Do Solutions to Current Ecological Challenges Lie in Decolonizing the Environment?

    What are the limits of the utilitarian approach to studying the environment? How do we go beyond Western philosophies in our thinking around the environment? Can Western and Non-Western approaches work together? And why is it imperative that we expand our political imagination?  In this episode of Sustainability Matters, Dr. Aleksandra Ross and Dr. Krzysztof Skonieczny talk about the importance of looking at ecological challenges from pluralistic, culturally diverse perspectives and discuss ways in which non-Western styles of thought help us not only understand the problem better, but also find solutions. This episode is based on their book Non-Western Approaches in Environmental Humanities, published by De Gruyter Brill, of which they’re co-editors alongside Dr. Gabriela Jarzębowska.  Host: Ramzi Nasir Guests: Dr. Aleksandra Ross and Dr. Krzysztof Skonieczny

    41 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    The Heritage of Psychiatry: Whose Voices Are Heard?

    On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we ask: What does it mean to narrate the heritage of psychiatry? Why is the history of mental health research so relevant today? How can we celebrate diverse experiences of "madness" without romanticising potentially harmful behaviours? And what role do contemporary systems play in the future of mental health heritage? All this and more with Dr. Christoph Singer, co-editor of Narrating the Heritage of Psychiatry, which is Volume 1 in the series “Narratives and Mental Health”, published by De Gruyter Brill. Host: Ramzi Nasir Guest: Dr. Christoph Singer

    36 min
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About

Sustainability Matters (formerly Humanities Matter)—produced by De Gruyter Brill—takes a deep dive into sustainability in scholarly communications and beyond. The podcast explores topics such as promoting diverse voices and marginalized perspectives in academia, the global accessibility of research, research ethics, combatting misinformation and more. Sustainability Matters features experts, advocates, practitioners, and De Gruyter Brill authors whose work on ethical and sustainable practices breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join us as we explore how we can shape a more equitable and accessible future for knowledge sharing—because sustainability truly matters, in scholarly publishing, and beyond.  

Information

  • Creator
    De Gruyter Brill
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    121
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sustainability Matters
  • Show Website
    Sustainability Matters