Research Stories
Jude Robinson - Social Anthropology and the Realities of Health Inequalities
Jude Robinson discusses her work in social anthropology - from addressing health inequalities and water access to documenting the lives of women in low-income, peri-urban communities.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify
Social Anthropologist Professor Jude Robinson sits down to discuss her work examining how peri-urban communities in Kenya can access safer water. Jude is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, without which her work wouldn’t be possible. In this conversation she explains how this works in practice, the challenges involved, and what success looks like.
Jude also discusses the lifespan and reusability of products like plastic bottles, which are often used to transport water in peri-urban communities.
In this episode:
- How Jude’s journey from anthropology into medicine shaped her collaborative approach.
- The hidden health risks in everyday practices like storing and boiling water.
- Why “common sense” around cleanliness is culturally defined — and not always what it seems.
- The simple questions that research still struggles to answer.
Guest Bio
Jude Robinson researches critical public health, focusing on the health of women with young children living on low income. Her research includes examining how people relate to others, their natural and social environments, and other species, framed through a ‘one health’ perspective.
Her current work in Kenya investigates how people in peri-urban communities access water, and its safety and quality. This interdisciplinary project involves microbiologists, medical and veterinary scientists, epidemiologists, and social anthropologists. Jude explores strategies used in resource-limited settings to improve human and livestock health without harming the environment.
Hosted and produced by Nick Bruce, with questions, recording, editing, mixing, and original music by Nick.
