Power and Privilege in Academia
Power and Privilege in Academia
Podcast Description
The Power and Privilege in Academia podcast series is organised by the Black and Brown in Bioethics (BBB) organisation, which aims to achieve racial equity within the UK bioethics community. The series is supported by the Ethox Centre (University of Oxford) and funded by the University of Bristol and Research England.
The series explores the intersecting dynamics of power and privilege in academic spaces, and engages with a wide spectrum of related themes including anti-racism, disrupting hierarchies, inclusivity in publishing, representation and research culture, gaps within public and community engagement, and the role of legacies, narratives, and identities in shaping academic belonging.
Each episode is hosted by one of the BBB co-founders, Harleen Kaur Johal, Matimba Swana, or Kumeri Bandara, and features conversations with one to three academics working on different forms of social justice. Through these dialogues, the series seeks not only to illuminate entrenched structures of power and privilege, but also to imagine more inclusive and equitable futures within academia. The series was produced and audio engineered by Faiq Habash, with original music by Qasim Ashraf (kxtone), and business administration by Nicholas Pitt.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes such as anti-racism, inclusivity in publishing, and the role of identity in academia, showcasing discussions centered on structural inequities. For example, episodes feature critical analyses of the myths of meritocracy in academia and medicine, as seen in the conversation with Dr Annabel Sowemimo and Professor Amaka Offiah on dismantling hierarchies, and another with Dr Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra and Dr Sabrina Germain on injustices faced by minoritised academics in publishing.
The Power and Privilege in Academia podcast series is organised by the Black and Brown in Bioethics (BBB) organisation, which aims to achieve racial equity within the UK bioethics community. The series is supported by the Ethox Centre (University of Oxford) and funded by the University of Bristol and Research England.
The series explores the intersecting dynamics of power and privilege in academic spaces, and engages with a wide spectrum of related themes including anti-racism, disrupting hierarchies, inclusivity in publishing, representation and research culture, gaps within public and community engagement, and the role of legacies, narratives, and identities in shaping academic belonging.
Each episode is hosted by one of the BBB co-founders, Harleen Kaur Johal, Matimba Swana, or Kumeri Bandara, and features conversations with one to three academics working on different forms of social justice. Through these dialogues, the series seeks not only to illuminate entrenched structures of power and privilege, but also to imagine more inclusive and equitable futures within academia. The series was produced and audio engineered by Faiq Habash, with original music by Qasim Ashraf (kxtone), and business administration by Nicholas Pitt.
Professor Keisha S. Ray joins us for a cross-continental conversation on representation and research culture, in which we explore the experiences of racially minoritised researchers working on both sides of the Atlantic. Recorded in July 2023. In this transatlantic episode, Dr Harleen Kaur Johal — co-founder of Black and Brown in Bioethics — sits down with Professor Keisha S. Ray for a candid conversation about the realities of working in bioethics in both the UK and the US. Keisha is an Associate Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas.
Together, they explore the nuances of research culture on either side of the Atlantic, unpacking the role of intersectionality, institutional power, and what it means to feel seen in academic spaces. From the transformative impact of working in departments where people look like you, to honest critiques about where bioethics is falling short, this conversation
provides deep insights, personal reflections, and a generous exchange of strategies for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in bioethics.
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