Dr. Rhoda Reddock is a sociologist and development studies scholar with expertise in a range of areas including feminist and gender studies, and critical race and ethnic studies. With an academic career spanning many years she is a former deputy campus principal of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, and head of the Centre (now Institute) for Gender and Development Studies and lecturer in sociology. Among her many published works, she has written 8 books and over seventy peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. As an activist in the Caribbean Women’s movement, Dr. Reddock was a founding member and first chair of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA). Her advocacy positioned her as a pioneer of Gender and Development Studies programmes, and she continues to champion the inclusion of women and gender studies in the field. She was recently elected to the Executive Committee of the International Sociological Association, and is the first Caribbean person elected to that role. Dr. Reddock has also served on the Council and advisory committee of the Caribbean Studies Association. 

In this episode, Dr. Reddock speaks to what it means to practice decolonial feminism and decolonize our academic institutions, defines pan-African feminism, points listeners to the wisdom of African and Caribbean women thought-leaders, and examines the future of the Gender and Development Studies field.

Episode 15 - Dr. Rhoda Reddock

How might the lessons of history inform our choices in the present? Does a rules-based world order risk concealing informed discussions, potentially blurring the line between assumptions and reality? 
 
In a world shadowed by its history, Professor Gilbert Achcar from SOAS Development Studies urges us to transcend the rhetoric and slogans of blame when examining contemporary issues - from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine to the tense Taiwan standoff with China, and the evolving power dynamics between the US, Russia and China in between. Instead Achcar’s analysis of the present political tensions challenged us to transcend the ‘black and white debate’, and unravel the nuances of policy decisions taken at critical junctions, dynamics present in the global structure, and the psychological dimensions shaping this social fabric. By offering us a manual crafted by past lessons, Achcar’s “New Cold War” is a call to take inspiration from how existing institutions like the UN were forged and wield this knowledge to navigate the complex political landscape for a more sustainable path. Achcar’s hopefulness resonates throughout, taking a firm belief that another world was and still is possible.

#5. The New Cold War: The United States, Russia and China, from Kosovo to Ukraine

Surbhi Kesar, lecturer at SOAS Department of Economics, in conversation with Sara Stevano, provides a comprehensive analysis of the informal economy, challenging traditional economic development theories by demonstrating how postcolonial economies persistently reproduce informal economic structures. 
 
Her research, primarily focused on India, reveals a complex landscape of economic flux characterised by precarity, limited upward mobility, and systemic exclusion. 
 
By examining the historical and contemporary dynamics of informality, Kesar argues that current economic growth models fail to address the fundamental structural challenges faced by workers in the Global South. Her work highlights the need to understand informality not as a temporary phase, but as a critical component of contemporary capitalist reproduction.

#6. Informal Economy: New Approaches

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BlackTalk is a podcast about the personal experiences of global Black experts and Black Canadians contextualized within the historical experience of being Black. Ethnic, modern, inclusive and informative, BlackTalk leaves listeners with new perspectives about anti-Black racism and Black achievement. The show is conversational, not judgmental. It provides a unique take on the Black experience to help people of all backgrounds open their eyes, reflect and challenge their thinking.

New tracks tagged #Development studies