Roundtable | Challenging ‘progress’: from life-course research to the geopolitics of ‘development’ 

This round table brought together scholars researching human "development" with those examining social and political "development." This experiment in cross-topic conversation will feature panelists discussing their research on environmental justice, planetary instability, reproductive rights in India, early life development science in South Africa, and health activism in Brazil.
Unpacking key concepts such as "progress," "growth," and the "normal/abnormal" in the social and biological sciences, panelists addressed how the research community can challenge these core concepts by drawing from emerging movements in unlearning, post/anti-development, degrowth, and decoloniality. They shared strategies for breaking down disciplinary silos between the humanities, biological sciences, psychology, and social sciences to think creatively about alternative futures.
This event was part of the 'Age of Health' series organised by the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine.
Learn more: www.kcl.ac.uk/ghsm