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We talk with Peter West-Oram about his new book - Justice, Solidarity and Global Health: From Globalisation to Collaboration - and discuss why solidarity is not automatically virtuous and how it can contribute to exclusion, coercion, and violence. 

We use COVID-19, vaccine conflict, and global injustice to ask what a minimal pro-social solidarity looks like and who gets counted inside the circle of moral concern. 
• solidarity as morally neutral rather than inherently good 
• exclusionary solidarity and the “lone wolf” story that hides communities 
• a minimal threshold for getting along in pluralist society 
• fat positivity as a case of pro-social community under outside hostility 
• three antisocial solidarities: hostility, mistaken, non-malicious exclusion 
• vaccine hesitancy as solidarity with harmful external effects 
• vaccine hoarding and partial policy choices that damage global health equity 
• mandates, reactance, and why trust building is long-term work 
• relational health beyond infection: infrastructure, climate change, and antimicrobial resistance 
• Gaza, “who counts,” and what solidarity demands when people are denied moral standing 

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Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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Dr Lisa Mitchell and A/Prof Diego Silva join us to discuss Netflix’s “Don’t Die” and use Bryan Johnson’s longevity regimen to talk about fear, meaning, and the politics of health. We ask what gets lost when anti-aging turns into an identity, a moral badge, or a business model. 
• Brian Johnson’s “don’t die” project as a story about wealth, control, and death anxiety 
• the tedium of optimization and the way routines become moral signaling 
• longevity culture’s overlap with masculinity aesthetics and looksmaxing 
• confusion between health, longevity, beauty standards, and virtue 
• mind versus body authority and what it means to distrust the mind 
• where philosophy and existential dread sit alongside “longevity science” 
• ageism debates and the gap between chronological age and health 
• level-one basics of preventive medicine versus extreme protocols 
• paranoia, environmental toxins, and auditing everyday life 
• ethical criticism of calling death the “greatest humanitarian challenge” 
• what community, love, and friendship look like across a very long life 

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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We chart how social media turns low testosterone into a crisis, selling masculinity, anxiety, and medical fixes to healthy men while skirting regulation. Emma Grundtvig Gram joins us to unpack overdiagnosis, celeb MRI scans, and the manosphere’s grip on health norms.

• harms of screening and the right to balanced information
• direct-to-consumer tests, devices, and influencer advertising
• celebrity-promoted full-body scans and overdiagnosis risk
• low T marketing as a lifestyle and masculinity product
• gendered parallels with menopause messaging and diet culture
• regulation gaps on social platforms and undisclosed conflicts
• cultural costs: emotions framed as failure and narrowing norms

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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We return after a hard pause to sit with grief, public safety, and how quickly politics moves to claim tragedy. We point to real solidarity work, reflect on bioethics beyond the moment of death, and share plans for more focused conversations next year.

• pause explained and schedule intentions
• Bondi tragedy and the ethics of listening
• Australia’s uneasy multicultural story and safety
• grief, silence, and limits of social media
• solidarity via Jewish Council of Australia petition
• conference highlights on post-death values
• Luddite lens on AI governance in healthcare
• universities in crisis and ethical refusal
• last year’s themes of love, grief, empathy
• plans to follow up with guests and topics

Go to JewishCouncil.com.au and read the petition about not allowing this to divide us

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Nanette Ryan discusses gender open parenting, a model allowing children to determine their own gender in their own time without imposing gender expectations based on assigned sex at birth. According to Dr Ryan, this approach creates space for autonomy and protects children from potentially harmful patriarchal gender norms while providing them with knowledge to navigate gender in society.

• Gender open parenting involves non-disclosure of a child's assigned sex at birth except to immediate caregivers
• The approach differs from gender-neutral parenting and gender abolitionism by embracing plurality of expressions
• Three key elements: non-disclosure, creating inclusive environments, and education about gender norms

This conversation is based on Dr Ryan's recent paper:

• Ryan, Nanette. 2025. “Autonomy and Gendering in Childhood”. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly 11 (2). https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/fpq/article/view/21632.

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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Dr. Andrea Ford, cultural and medical anthropologist, explores the fascinating world of femtech and period tracking apps, revealing how these technologies are transforming our understanding of bodies, health, and gender. The conversation examines how these digital tools function within surveillance capitalism while promising personal empowerment through data collection.

• Period tracking has evolved beyond fertility planning to become a comprehensive approach to "hormonal health"
• Femtech represents a $50 billion industry that includes apps, wearables, and AI-driven health platforms
• Users track not just bleeding but hundreds of metrics including mood, energy, and physical symptoms
• Post-Roe v. Wade concerns about data privacy have prompted many to delete tracking apps
• "Cycle syncing" encourages planning work and social activities around hormonal phases
• Female tech founders face significant barriers in the male-dominated venture capital world
• Period tracking sits at feminism's central tension: celebrating biological differences versus transcending them
• Newer approaches to menstruation frame it as inflammatory rather than hormonal
• The menopause tech boom reflects changing attitudes about women's health across the lifespan

Check out Dr. Ford's Wellcome Trust-funded research investigating the femtech industry, surveillance concerns, and how digital health is reshaping our relationship with our bodies.

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

Send us Fan Mail

Five years after COVID-19 upended our lives, we've developed a curious collective amnesia. When was the last time you seriously reflected on playground closures, door-to-door testing teams, or the "disappointing Dan" press conferences? These once-extraordinary interventions now seem like strange artifacts from another era.

Jane Williams shares how COVID researchers now apologetically preface their ongoing work with self-deprecation, as though examining one of history's most significant social and medical disruptions is somehow passé. "I've made the decision to quite actively try not to be rude about my own work," Jane explains, pushing back against this strange cultural shift to minimize the pandemic's continued relevance.

Contrary to prevalent punditry suggesting public trust has been irreparably damaged by pandemic measures, Jane's research with participants across multiple Australian states revealed something surprising: most people would accept similar interventions again if needed – with the crucial caveat that communication and respect must improve. "We'd do it all again, as long as there was a bit more transparency... as long as we were treated better than we were last time," participants consistently stated. This challenges the narrative that procedural justice, rather than the measures themselves, represents the path forward for public health emergency management.

The conversation explores how working patterns have permanently shifted, creating flexibility for some while highlighting inequities for others. The concerning trend of sick days transforming into "work from home while sick" days indicates how pandemic adaptations have sometimes eroded traditional boundaries between work and personal life. Meanwhile, students who experienced educational disruptions during formative years continue navigating the ripple effects alongside broader challenges facing younger generations.

By excavating these pandemic memories and examining their lasting impact, we gain valuable perspective on our changed world. What other aspects of this transformative period deserve more thoughtful reflection before they fade completely from our collective consciousness? Join the conversation by reaching out on Instagram or emailing [email protected].

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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We celebrate five years of Undisciplinary by reflecting on our journey and the changing academic landscape since our podcast began in July 2020.

• Chris and Jane discuss recent conference experiences, noting the different atmospheres between academic gatherings
• We listen to and react to our original five-minute teaser episode from July 23, 2020
• Reflections on Courtney Hempton's contributions and impact on the podcast's development
• Discussion of how Twitter's transformation has changed how we source topics and connect with others
• Clarification about our independent funding model and thoughts on academic freedom challenges
• Exploration of what it means to be truly "undisciplinary" in our current academic environments
• Consideration of gatekeeping versus maintaining knowledge integrity across disciplines
• Acknowledging the podcast's value as a labor of love that continues to bring meaning

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

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A/Prof Seye Abimbola explores how global health as a concept reinforces colonial power structures and argues for decentering Western institutions in health governance. His critique reveals how aid flows primarily benefit donor countries while creating dependencies that hinder meaningful health system development in recipient nations.

• The term "global health" itself is problematic, describing an industry with colonial roots rather than a truly global approach to health
• Much international aid functions as "tied aid," where donor countries require recipients to purchase overpriced products from them, limiting actual benefits
• 84% of major global health organizations are headquartered in wealthy nations, perpetuating knowledge hierarchies and power imbalances
• Historical colonial medical interventions like brutal sleeping sickness campaigns continue to impact health outcomes and trust in healthcare today
• Prestigious biomedical journals marginalize qualitative research, reinforcing knowledge hierarchies that privilege Global North perspectives
• True decolonization requires addressing not just authorship imbalances but ensuring research questions and methodologies serve local needs
• The withdrawal of USAID funding presents both challenges and opportunities for African nations to reimagine health systems on their own terms

Check out Dr. Abimbola's book "The Foreign Gaze: Essays on Global Health" available open access, which further explores how knowledge practices in global health often serve foreign interests rather than addressing local needs.

We also discussed Kyobutungi C, Okereke E, Abimbola S. After USAID: what now for aid and Africa? BMJ 2025; 388 :r479 doi:10.1136/bmj.r479 

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected] 

Send us Fan Mail

Part 2 of our conversation with philosopher Megan Dean. We explore the ethics of hosting and the tensions that arise when accommodating guests with dietary restrictions. We dive into her paper "The Worst Dinner Guest Ever" to understand why people with food allergies and gut issues often face skepticism and judgment when sharing their needs.

• Megan was inspired by a blog post about accommodating guests with multiple dietary restrictions and the heated debate in its comment section
• "Epistemic humility" means acknowledging people as authorities on their own bodies and experiences
• Many food intolerances cause invisible or delayed symptoms, making them easy to dismiss but no less real
• Hosting responsibilities include keeping guests safe and comfortable, which means taking dietary needs seriously
• Cultural contexts create complex ethical situations where being a "good guest" might mean risking discomfort
• "Healthism" flattens the rich experience of eating by assuming health should always be our primary consideration
• The true "worst dinner guest" is the one who judges others' food choices rather than enjoying the shared experience

Megan A. Dean; The “Worst Dinner Guest Ever”: On “Gut Issues” and Epistemic Injustice at the Dinner Table. Gastronomica 1 August 2022; 22 (3): 59–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2022.22.3.59 

Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. 
Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected]