BSP Podcast: Tanja Staehler – Phenomenology of Childbirth between Theory and Practice

podcast update

Season two of our podcast continues with the 2017 British Society for Phenomenology Annual Conference, and our first keynote speaker.

Season 2 episode 24: 15 January 2018

This recording is of Tanja Staehler’s presentation ‘Phenomenology of Childbirth between Theory and Practice’. You can listen to this episode on the BSP’s Podbean site, and you can also find it on iTunes and all good podcasting apps by searching ‘BSP Podcast’.

Tanja Staehler is Professor of European Philosophy at the University of Sussex. Her current research focuses on the bodily experiences and emotions of pregnancy, birth, and being with infants, from a phenomenological perspective. Her research mediates between philosophers (phenomenologists), parents, and healthcare professionals such that the perspectives can be shared as well as differences acknowledged. She has published numerous essays in this area, including articles in the journals Janus Head, Health Care and Philosophy and also in the Yearbook for Eastern and Western Philosophy. Tanja has written books on Hegel, Husserl, and the Phenomenology of Historical Worlds (Rowman and Littlefield International, 2016); Plato and Levinas: The Ambiguous Out-side of Ethics (Routledge, New York, 2009); and together with Michael Lewis, Phenomenology: An Introduction. (Continuum, 2010).

Abstract: “In this presentation, I want to reflect on the experience of researching childbirth from a phenomenological perspective. In particular, methodological challenges will be considered that emerge from work at the intersection of theory and practice. My co-designed online learning module for the Royal College of Midwives entitled ‘Communication in Labour’ will serve as an example for the practical aspect. The module attempts to utilise the concepts of emotions, reflection, responsivity and situation which emerge from the theoretical analysis.”

The British Society for Phenomenology’s Annual Conference took place at the University of Brighton, UK during September, 2017. It gathered together philosophers, literary scholars, phenomenologists, and practitioners exploring phenomenological theory and its practical application. It covered a broad range of areas and issues including the arts, ethics, medical humanities, mental health, education, technology, feminism, politics and political governance, with contributions throwing a new light on both traditional phenomenological thinkers and the themes associated with classical phenomenology. More information about the conference can be found here.