Caring Across Borders: Navigating the Complexities of Transnational Care Collectives (Ep 31, Tanja Ahlin)
In this episode of “Healthcare for Humans,” host Raj Sundar is joined by guest Tanja Ahlin, a researcher and anthropologist, to explore the concept of good care in the context of chronic illness and care collectives. They discuss the limitations of healthcare systems’ metrics for measuring success in chronic illness care and emphasize the importance of finding individualized approaches that go beyond clinical outcomes. They delve into the role of technology in facilitating care at a distance, particularly in transnational care collectives, where families use tools like mobile phones and webcams to support each other. The episode also touches on the undervalued nature of informal care, the impact of gender and wage gaps in caregiving, and the significance of material factors and power dynamics in care practices. Overall, the conversation challenges traditional notions of care and highlights the need for a more holistic and inclusive approach in healthcare.
Timestamped Overview
[00:01:05] Care goes beyond healthcare: family, technology, collectives.
[00:05:45] Material things shape care at different stages.
[00:09:14] Care in community undervalued; affects wage/gender gap.
[00:13:23] Using chronic illness to redefine good care.
[00:17:00] Empirical ethics challenges healthcare norms for good care.
[00:24:59] Reaction to technology in healthcare, lack of consideration for users.
[00:26:01] Telemedicine’s pilot stage is challenged by accessible technologies.
[00:30:35] WhatsApp transformed elder care in India.
[00:33:02] Connecting generations, combating social isolation through technology.
