All Episodes

February 26, 2025 77 mins

Send a love message

 Elena Clare Cuffari is a Professor at Franklin and Marshall College. Shay Welch is a professor at Spelman College in Atlanta. In this episode, they discuss embodied cognition and participatory sensemaking in relation to marginalized body epistemologies. They share insights from a recent conference that brought together diverse perspectives on how embodied cognition intersects with issues of race, gender, and activism. Welch emphasizes that she never separates her scholarship from her personal life, seeing philosophy as inherently connected to her lived experience. Cuffari highlights the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of her work with colleagues, which seeks to challenge traditional philosophical boundaries. They address the challenges of integrating marginalized voices into academic fields and the importance of recognizing the body's knowledge. The conversation also touches on the discomfort that arises in both academic and social contexts when established norms are challenged, and how this requires responsibility beyond blame.
 
 00:00 Building a Community for Philosophical Dialogue
 02:02 Introduction to Embodied Cognition and Participatory Sensemaking
 02:22 Exploring Personal Philosophical Interests
 04:11 Defining Embodied Cognition and Participatory Sensemaking
 08:08 The Roots and Relevance of Embodied Cognition
 15:14 Challenges in Academia and Marginalized Philosophies
 28:51 The Concept of Normalcy in Philosophy and Society
 37:17 Addressing Misunderstandings in Philosophy
 39:34 Inclusivity and Change in Philosophy
 43:18 Discomfort and Openness in Philosophical Inquiry
 49:44 Marginalized Body Epistemologies
 01:01:43 The Intersection of Philosophy and Personal Experience
 01:05:57 Reflections on the Conference and Future Directions

Click to Substack page here for references and more.

Shay Welch: https://spelman.academia.edu/shaywelch

Read Rebecca Todd's post about Shay 

Elena Cuffari: https://www.elenaclarecuffari.com/

Women in embodied Cognition: https://women-4e.com/

Oxford Handbook of 4E Cognition

What is Feminist Phenomenology?

The Phenomenology of a Performative Knowledge System: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04936-2#bibliographic-information

Linguistic Bodies: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547864/linguistic-bodies/

Shay interview

Elena motivation

The quote Shay reads is chapter 8 of this book:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppression-and-the-body-christine-caldwell/1126641713

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.