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Between the Lines

Institute of Development Studies

This podcast series explores ground-breaking ideas in development for positive social and environmental change. Each month we feature an interview with an expert in international development who will talk about their latest research and ideas.


The discussions give an insight on the themes covered, exploring the challenges and discoveries, and why the issues matter for progressive and sustainable development globally.


Send your comments and suggestions to betweenthelines@ids.ac.uk



This podcast is brought to you by the Institute of Development Studies, produced and edited by Gary Edwards, Senior Marketing Officer.


Music credit: Around/Shutterstock

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  • 80 episodes
  • Updated July 9

Episodes80

Newest first
  • May 5, 2020 · 33 min

    Social Dictatorships: The Political Economy of the Welfare State in the Middle East and North Africa

    At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has raised issues of welfare regimes higher up the global agenda, author Ferdinand Eibl discusses his book, Social Dictatorships: The Political Economy of the Welfare State in the Middle East and North Africa. Using mixed methods of study, the book presents an explanation as to why social spending in authoritarian regimes differ and presents case studies of the political origins of the Tunisian and Egyptian welfare state. Interviewing Ferdinand is IDS Research Fellow, Max Gallien. Ferdinand is Lecturer in Political Economy and programme director of the MA Politics and Economics of the Middle East at King’s College London. Book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/social-dictatorships-9780198834274?q=eibl&lang=en&cc=gb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 1, 2020 · 59 min

    The Social Dynamics of Pandemics

    The global pandemic Covid-19 is impacting people in many and varied ways. The effects on all our lives are immense and diverse, from rural and urban communities, young and old, from different geographic and economic groups. We are each living with different realities of a global crisis. IDS' Melissa Leach, Hayley MacGregor,Annie Wilkinson and Ian Scoones discuss how we can learn from past epidemics and outbreaks and the need to understand social dynamics in order to respond to Covid-19. Links: Book – ‘Avian Influenza: Science, Policy and Politics’, Ian Scoones Book – ‘Epidemics: Science, Governance and Social Justice’, Melissa Leach, Sarah Dry and Hayley MacGregor Blog - Covid-19 - a social phenomenon requiring diverse expertise Blog - Science, uncertainty and the Covid-19 response Pandemic Preparedness Programme Twitter: @IDS_UK #IDSbetweenthelines Special book April/ discount offer Discount code IDS50 offering 50% discount on the three titles listed below: Avian Influenza | Paperback | £33.99 £16.99 Epidemics: Science, Governance and Social Justice | Paperback| £39.99 £19.99 One Health: Science, politics and zoonotic disease in Africa | Paperback| £35.99 £17.99 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 6, 2020 · 32 min

    Water for Food Security, Nutrition and Social Justice - Lyla Mehta and Claudia Ringler

    Water is crucial to sustain life, food, ecosystems, human health and wellbeing. Still, millions of poor and marginalised women and men around the world face challenges in accessing water due to a range of ecological, socio-political, institutional and economic reasons. The focus of this month’s episode of Between the Lines is a new book called ‘Water for Food Security, Nutrition and Social Justice’ . IDS researcher, Lidia Cabral interviews two of its authors IDS Fellow, Lyla Mehta and Claudia Ringler, who is Deputy Director of Environment and Production Technology Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). They argue for the need to improve policy coherence across water, land and food and make the case for strengthening the relationship between the human rights to water and food, especially for marginalized women and men. Book: https://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/water-for-food-security-nutrition-and-social-justice/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 5, 2020 · 28 min

    Negotiating Gender Equity in the Global South: Domestic Violence - Sohela Nazneen

    Domestic violence remains widespread in many countries. Approximately 1/3 of women globally experience some form of violence in their lifetime. In this month’s episode of Between the Lines, IDS researcher, Sohela Nazneen discusses a book that she has co edited entitled, ‘Negotiating Gender Equity in the Global South: The Politics of Domestic Violence Policy.' The book investigates the conditions under which countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have adopted legislation against domestic violence. And, as Sohela explains, how broader domains of power need to be addressed if we are to have gender-inclusive policy outcomes. Interviewing Sohela is economist and gender specialist, Professor Diane Elson. We would love to hear from you email IDSbetweenthelines@ids.ac.uk Book: https://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/negotiating-gender-equity-in-the-global-south/ Sohela Nazneen: https://www.ids.ac.uk/people/sohela-nazneen/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Jan 1, 2020 · 45 min

    The Politics of Green Transformations: Melissa Leach, Peter Newell & Ian Scoones

    In recent years, climate change and the environment has shot up the agenda in political and public discourse, and a new type of politics has taken shape, with many people calling for urgent, radical change. In this month’s Between the Lines, IDS Director Melissa Leach, Professor Ian Scoones and Professor Peter Newell discuss their co-edited book, The Politics of Green Transformations. Drawing on international examples, they reflect on past transformations as examples of positive change and examine the factors that have contributed to recent heightened awareness and emergency narratives. They discuss the tensions between the need for urgent green transformations and issues of inequality, social justice and rights, and call on an evidence-based politics of hope, to drive humanity towards a sustainable, just future. Interviewing them is Andrew Simms, author, political economist, activist and the coordinator of the Rapid Transition Alliance. ***Special 20% offer*** on book purchase! Use discount code: SOC19 https://www.routledge.com/The-Politics-of-Green-Transformations/Scoones-Leach-Newell/p/book/9781138792906 Melissa Leach: https://www.ids.ac.uk/people/melissa-leach/ Peter Newell: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/104921 Ian Scoones: https://www.ids.ac.uk/people/ian-scoones/ Andrew Simms: http://www.newweather.org/about-us/andrew-simms/ Rapid Transitions Alliance: https://www.rapidtransition.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Dec 4, 2019 · 30 min

    Power, Empowerment and Social Change - Rosemary McGee & Jethro Pettit

    In this month’s episode of Between the Lines we discuss a new book that helps us to better understand how power works. Power, Empowerment and Social Change uncovers how power operates around the world, and how it can be transformed through collective action and social leadership. Discussing this collaborative work with IDS Research Officer, Katy Oswald are co-editors Rosemary McGee and Jethro Pettit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Nov 6, 2019 · 23 min

    Putting Children First - Keetie Roelen and Yisak Tafere

    Despite important strides in the fight against poverty in the last few decades, child poverty remains widespread and persistent, particularly in Africa. Two-thirds of children in sub-Saharan Africa face all manners of hardship. These include poor living conditions, low educational outcomes, high levels of malnutrition and often high risks of exposure to different forms of violence. One in five children in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to grow up in extreme “monetary” poverty, meaning they live in families without adequate incomes to make basic ends meet. In this month’s episode of Between the Lines, IDS Researcher, Keetie Roelen and Yisak Tafere from the Policy Institute, Ethiopia, discuss their co-edited book “Putting Children First: New Frontiers in the Fight Against Child Poverty in Africa” - authored by over . They outline some of the initiatives aiming to reduce child poverty and how they hope that this book will push the frontiers by challenging existing narratives, exploring alternative understandings of the complexities and dynamics underpinning child poverty and, crucially, examining policy options that work. Interviewing Keetie and Yisak is IDS Research Associate, Sir Richard Jolly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Oct 2, 2019 · 36 min

    1: Refugee Tales - Emma Parsons

    This month we look at Refugee Tales, a series of books that bring together poets and novelists to tell the stories of individuals who have directly experienced Britain’s policy of indefinite immigration detention. IDS' Kelly Shephard speaks with Emma Parsons who wrote “The Teacher’s Tale”, which is told from her perspective as an English teacher, giving support to a refugee detained under the UK immigration system. Links: Refugee Tales website: http://refugeetales.org/ Comma Press, the publishers: https://commapress.co.uk/books/refugee-tales-volume-iii Refugee Tales on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/refugeetales/ The Guardian review: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/23/refugee-tales-migration-books-ungrateful-refugee-our-city-dina-nayeri-jon-bloomfield-jonathan-portes Review of Emma Parsons' tale in EFL magazine: https://www.eflmagazine.com/book-review-refugee-tales/?fbclid=IwAR15zN-7IVq7HwST3ekr_rIaHEOWXHe0FZ1tVT1aqZZ_sG8wC7-autzGszw This podcast is produced and edited by IDS Communications Coordinator, Sarah King. Please Send any comments and suggestions to betweenthelines@ids.ac.uk Music credit: Crypt of Insomnia/One Day in Africa (instrumental version)/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Sep 3, 2019 · 22 min

    12: Special anniversary episode

    We're celebrating one year of --between the lines-- with a special episode that brings together clips from all the episodes across the series. This special episode showcases the range of speakers and wealth of ideas from the series, drawing out some of the key elements needed for progressive change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Aug 7, 2019 · 27 min

    11: Fertility, Health and Reproductive Politics: Re-imagining Rights in India - Maya Unnithan

    This month Hayley Macgregor speaks with Maya Unnithan, Professor of Social and medical anthropology at the University of Sussex, about her new book, ‘Fertility, Health and Reproductive Politics: Re-imagining Rights in India'. Drawing on ethnographic research over the past eighteen years, Maya brings together the practices, experiences and discourse on fertility and reproduction in Northern India, into an overarching analytical framework on power and gender politics. Through its focus on development actors, civil society members as well as health providers, it brings out the diverse ways in which reproductive rights are both understood and imagined by the state and civil society and juxtaposes this with understandings and perceptions of those who are both subjects and objects of the state policies and NGO interventions. This podcast is produced and edited by IDS Communications Coordinator, Sarah King. Please send any comments and suggestions to betweenthelines@ids.ac.uk Links: Book: https://www.routledge.com/Fertility-Health-and-Reproductive-Politics-Re-imagining-Rights-in-India/Unnithan/p/book/9781138610965 Maya Unnithan: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/2755 Hayley Macgregor: https://www.ids.ac.uk/people/hayley-macgregor/ Music credit: Crypt of Insomnia/One Day in Africa (instrumental version)/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Jul 3, 2019 · 30 min

    10: How Change Happens – Duncan Green

    Whether you are an activist, campaigner, development practitioner, lobbyist, entrepreneur, individual or an organisation, Duncan Green’s latest book, How Change Happens seeks to understand how power and systems shape change, and how to influence them. In this month’s episode of between the lines, Duncan speaks with IDS researcher Jo Howard, offering the latest thinking on what works to achieve progressive change. Download the Open Access book. Watch the short summary of the Power and Systems Approach This podcast is produced and edited by IDS Communications Coordinator, Sarah King. Please Send any comments and suggestions to betweenthelines@ids.ac.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Jun 5, 2019 · 26 min

    9: Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics – Nanjala Nyabola

    In this episode of between the lines, Nanjala Nyabola, a Kenyan activist, political analyst and author, speaks about her fascinating book ‘Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era is Transforming Politics in Kenya’, about how the digital age and social media has impacted Kenyan politics, and the consequences for democracies across Africa, and beyond. While the impact of the Digital Age on Western politics has been extensively debated, there is still little appreciation of how it has been felt in developing countries such as Kenya. Reframing digital democracy from the African perspective, Nanjala’s ground-breaking work opens up new ways of understanding the current global online era. Interviewing Nanjala is IDS researcher Tony Roberts. This podcast is produced and edited by IDS Communications Coordinator, Sarah King. Please Send any comments and suggestions to betweenthelines@ids.ac.uk Follow @IDS_UK on Twitter and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 1, 2019 · 30 min

    8: Radical Help – Hilary Cottam

    In this episode of --between the lines-- IDS researcher, Richard Longhurst, speaks to Hilary Cottam about her book: 'Radical Help: how we can remake the relationships between us and revolutionise the welfare state.'Radical Help is about new ways of...

  • Apr 2, 2019 · 24 min

    7: Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development – Ian Scoones

    In this episode of –between the lines– IDS researcher Ian Scoones, talks to colleague Marina Apgar about his book, Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development, part of series of small books for big ideas.The book looks at the role of social insti...

  • Feb 6, 2019 · 31 min

    5: How Lives Change – Nicholas Stern and Himanshu

    In this episode IDS Director Melissa Leach speaks to renowned economists and authors Nicholas Stern and Himanshu from LSE, about their book How Lives Change: Palanpur, India and Development Economics.They discuss how a small village in India to ill...

  • Jan 2, 2019 · 32 min

    4: A New Politics from the Left - Hilary Wainwright

    In this episode of –between the lines– author Hilary Wainwright speaks with IDS Director John Gaventa about her book A New Politics from the Left.Hilary argues that a viable alternative to austerity and neoliberalism  requires a new politics for th...

  • Dec 5, 2018 · 40 min

    3: Global Citizen from Gulmi - Kul Chandra Gautam

    Global Citizen from Gulmi is an inspirational story of how a boy from a remote village in Nepal went on to become the senior-most Nepali in the UN.In this episode of --between the lines-- Sir Richard Jolly speaks to Kul Chandra Gautam about his boo...