The fourth  HSRC lecture series for the Monsoon ’24 semester was conducted on 11 September  where Prof. Usha Raman, University of Hyderabad deliberated on the topic  Voice of the Crone: Feminist podcasts and Intergenerational conversations. The research provocation was grounded on critical ageing studies, feminist scholarship and podcast studies.

The lecture was initiated through a thought experiment which required the captain of an alien ship to nominate one human as a representative for the entire humanity. Setting aside philosophers, economists, naturalists and politicians, Prof. Raman defended Le Guin’s choice of the ‘experienced and empathetic’ crone as the best representative of humanity. This analogy was extended to further substantiate the sex-ageing that led to a “double othering” for older women and how the notion of “crone” could be used as an alternative positioning to go beyond post-feminist framing of older women that resisted ideas of decline, denial or anti-ageing.

The talk then dealt with how podcasting worked as an intimate feminist medium that allowed for an authentic approach to amplify the voices of older, wise women and encouraged intergenerational listening. The podcast “Wiser Than Me” produced by Lemonada media was discussed as a case of the growing body of feminist podcast that challenged the narratives and subverted stereotypes about older women.

The discussion concluded on how the neoliberal market understanding of women’s ageing could be reframed and how the narrative about graceful ageing could be rebuilt.

September 2024