Encore How Do Historical Narratives of Single Women Inform Us Today?

March 12, 2024
Hosted by Christine Erickson

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Guest Information

Episode Description

People who are single and without children, comprise a growing, global demographic, and yet, these lived experiences remain largely unacknowledged vis-a-via the status quo. There is also a common tendency to perceive the emergence of single people without children, as being very recent. This perspective both eclipses historical literature depicting the lives and voices of single women, and furthers the invisibility of every day discrimination and inequity, based on reproductive identity and relationship status. What can we learn from these cultural narratives and the historic contexts in which they were written? Today, we are honored to be in conversation with Dr. Katherine Fama, who will share her in-depth work and perspectives on the historical narratives of single women in literature, and how these narratives relate and inform us today. Dr. Fama is the coeditor of Single Lives: Modern Women in Literature, Culture, and Film, and teaches in the School of English, Film, and Drama at University College Dublin. Tune in to learn more!

New Legacy Radio

Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

New Legacy Radio is a social justice platform about people without children. This space is intended to bring visibility and change to our experiences, to connect with our allies and anyone committed to learning more from our community, which is reaching an estimated one-third of the global population. The show addresses the social, systemic, and structural realities perpetuated by reproductive and relational identity bias. We discuss the impact of pronatalist behavior and policies, through the perspectives of our community and allies, as we work to achieve meaningful change that recognizes the truly diverse, intersectional continuum of our experiences. New Legacy Radio is brought to you by New Legacy Institute (NLI), which is policy institute, focused on the global culture and impact of pronatalism. The Institute’s social justice advocacy serves the growing, global community of people without children. NLI’s mission is to generate constructive change in cultural, organizational, and institutional policies that exhibit biases against people without children.

Christine Erickson

Christine Erickson (she/her) is the founder of New Legacy Institute. The Institute’s purpose is to advocate for change around social realities and policy inequities faced by those who do not have children. Christine is involuntarily childless by circumstance (cxc), and touched on her experiences in her award-winning book, The Mother Within: A Guide to Accepting Your Childless Journey. (2015) A revised edition is forthcoming. Her current writing focuses on the unacknowledged impact of women who are childless/childfree due to circumstances. Christine is dedicated to advancing the diverse narratives and experiences of people without children. She is a staunch advocate of our community’s equitable inclusion and belonging in the workplace, media & entertainment narratives, and making visible the ways in which our community is impacted by culture and policy, and the change we seek. As an executive and entrepreneur, she has lived and worked globally, for the majority of her career. She is an experienced executive coach, leadership educator, and the founder of the Center for Consent-Driven Leadership. She is writing a forthcoming book: Consent-Driven: Rethinking the Culture of Leadership. Christine is an advocate for justice reform in family law and court procedures, involuntary pro se representation, and multifaceted accountability regarding violence against women. She has also consulted on international women’s law and development, gender equity and healthcare access initiatives.

Episode Directory

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

  • 3/26/2024: Encore Menopause in Focus: The Embodied Experience of Postmenopause Listen Now
  • 3/19/2024: Encore Hysteria-The Chasm Between Patient Autonomy & Gynecological Care Listen Now
  • 3/12/2024: Encore How Do Historical Narratives of Single Women Inform Us Today? Listen Now
  • 3/5/2024: Encore Igniting Political Change for Single Women in Australia Listen Now


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