In this episode I take a look at tropes surrounding "strong women". I explore where these tropes came from and what kinds of stories they can tell us, paying particular attention to black feminist thought from Sojourner Truth to bell hooks.

In a perhaps uncharacteristically heartfelt episode, I ask for listeners to think about what implications these tropes have for different models of femininity.

You can expect a healthy dose of imperial and medical history, psychology, and media studies. Given the subject matter this episode does explore some challenging themes including: medical misogyny, racism, slavery, genocide and sexual violence. As such, listener discretion is advised.