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Simon Fern

@simonfern.bsky.social
855 followers 1.5K following 121 posts

Sociology PhD - writing on immigrant health/medical experiences in Spain. Also, collaborative work on food apartheid in the American south. #migration studies, Medicine, #reproduction, care, #STS, #embodiment, coloniality, ANT.

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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There should be an "opt out" for being sent peer review requests for submissions that involved the use of AI/LLMs. I'm getting an increasing flow of 'overview of the literature' review-style articles where the authors have just put everything through an LLM and submitted the output.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I am nostalgic for the 2010s because I could login to my university library account *once* and access all the journals. Now, my phone buzzes with a two factor authentication request whenever I even dare look at a journal website. Pls make it stop.
Meme showing Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill. The boulder has text on it saying: Duo mobile two factor authentication push message
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Current post-doc position: swineherd & chicken wrangler. The market is tough but AI hasn't automated this yet...
Image shows two small pigsImage shows three chickens
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
A second paper from my dissertation just published in @jofhsb.bsky.social. It's about the health care experiences of Americans who have migrated to Spain and how their movement reveals insights into the practice and politics of (health/)care. Open access here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Image shows screenshot of journal abstract and title. Title: "“I Get to Be a Person Here”: American Immigrants in Spain and the Practice of (Health) Care". Abstract: "Studies of immigrant health care routinely center less-advantaged persons in Global North contexts; U.S. scholarship frequently examines Latin American immigrants navigating the U.S. health landscape. Little work considers the health care experiences of U.S. citizens as immigrants as they are rarely labeled, analyzed, and debated comparably to less-advantaged immigrants.
Instead of naturalizing the American experience as the point of comparison for immigrants, we can invert that dynamic by attending to Americans’ experiences as immigrant patients abroad. This inversion generates insight into leaving behind familiar health practices, configurations, and ideologies. Americans in Spain move from an advantaged sending country to a less-wealthy context with superior health care access and outcomes. Through interviews with 41 U.S. citizens in Spain, I explore how Americans unlearn health care avoidance, experience novel possibilities, question internalized logics, and interpret doing care differently. Through studying Americans as immigrants, we see how migration facilitates the reexamination of health-related values, behaviors, and practices.". Article is published in "Journal of Health and Social Behavior".
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Reading Foucault's "Of Other Spaces" today, love this chunk about relationality.
The space in which we live, which draws us out of ourselves, in which the erosion of our lives. our time and our history occurs, the space that claws and gnaws at us, is also, in itself, a heterogeneous space. In other words, we do not live in a kind of void, inside of which we could place individuals and things. We do not live inside a void that could be colored with diverse shades of light, we live inside a set of relations that delineates sites which are irreducible to one another and absolutely not superimposable on one another.
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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 31/07/2026
"Details, in their singularity and idiosyncrasy, point to the capaciousness of human experience." New today in the Society's journal 'Transactions': Joe Moran 'On Detail in Historical Writing': bit.ly/44UMi8C Now available OA @joemoransblog.bsky.social @massobsarchive.bsky.social #Skystorians 1/2
Opening page of the Transactions article 'On Detail in Historical Writing' by Joe Moran. 

Full abstract: "This Comment considers the role of detail in historical writing, inflected through my own experience of writing ‘trade’ books for a general rather than specialist readership. I argue for the value of the detail that is slightly recalcitrant, that is more than just flesh on the bones of an argument or evidence marshalled to make a point. Detail is itself a kind of argument and thus, since beauty and elegance in writing derive from economy, a way of making a point without belabouring it. The gratuitous fact can be seductive, suggesting that the world has a randomness and overabundance that can't easily be rounded up into a dataset. Details, in their singularity and idiosyncrasy, point to the capaciousness of human experience. They correct our tendency to fixate on one story, to focus on the eventful at the expense of the marginal, and to invent a false unity of experience that erases social differences. With their obdurate specificity, they can shatter our presumptions about the past. I explore these ideas with reference to modern literature (Flaubert, Chekhov), the Mass-Observation archive and examples from my own work in contemporary cultural history and family history."
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Can't wait for them to ask if there's a doctor on the flight so that I can get my comically large PhD diploma out of the tube 😎
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I learned so much from the resources that Raúl Pacheco-Vega generously wrote and shared. Really saddened to see the news of his passing today.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
New in @russellsagefdn.bsky.social - "Place, History, and Food Apartheid: Reframing How Low-Income Black Mothers Make Ends Meet" We frame food insecurity in TX through racialised accumulation and disinvestment, spotlighting white supremacy in family and food inequalities. doi.org/10.7758/RSF....
doi.org
Place, History, and Food Apartheid: Reframing How Low-Income Black Mothers Make Ends Meet
Thirty years after Making Ends Meet , poor mothers continue to labor intensively to sustain their families. Following scholars emphasizing the fundamental causes of social inequalities, we address the...
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British Sociological Association @britsoci.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Sociological Research Online journal is accepting abstracts for a special issue on creative methods relating to research design, methodological craft, data analysis and dissemination, and more. Read the full call below. Submit by 9 June. tinyurl.com/y22s4n7b
Image text relates to a call by Sociological Research Online journal for abstracts for a special issue on creative methods
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Pablo Gracia @pablogracia.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
APPLY & SHARE 📢 EOI for PhD in Sociology & Demography at @cedemografia.bsky.social @uab.cat in Barcelona Topics: Families, Inequalities, Life Course, Well-Being Supervisors: @maikevd.bsky.social & me Deadline: 12 May, 2026 Call👇 8d87235d-b140-4b6e-949c-c9606376b3fa.usrfiles.com/ugd/8d8723_a...
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Xander Dunlap @drxdunlap.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Check it out! A new publication @geoopenaccess.bsky.social explicitly discussing the relationship between sacrifice zones, extractivism, green colonialism & the politics behind them🔥 @pollenetwork.bsky.social @eadi.bsky.social
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Catherine Tan @catherinetan.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Do we need another form of capital? Probably not. Am I pushing one anyway? Yes, absolutely. I had to do so much chanting for this… so please read the first article to come out of my ethnography on American shamans (those who appropriate Indigenous healing). onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Ficto‐Primitive Capital: What Wellness Seekers Gain From Practicing Shamanism and Other Healing Traditions
Behind its worldly and socially conscious aesthetic, the wellness industry serves the health and fitness interests of North American and European consumers by commercializing non-Western and Indigeno...
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Got a conditional acceptance on the second paper from my dissertation. It's about US citizens experiencing public healthcare abroad & elite migration. Looking forward to sharing when it's out. Celebrating with some morels from the market.
Image shows four small plastic boxes of fresh morel mushrooms for sale in a market. The morel mushrooms are brown with a web-like texture. They are priced at €10/box. The boxes of mushrooms are on a red tablecloth.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Just sent out my first post-phd job application. Went down to see & feed the beautiful lambs.
photo of Valais Blacknose lambs in a grassy field.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
I *wish* US sociologists would clarify in their papers that they are talking about the USA, and what that means as a limitation. For all the endless discussion of "generalisability", I wish we'd talk about whether it's appropriate to generalise so broadly about social life from the American case.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Barncat enjoying spring in the garden.
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Sociologists for Palestine @soc4pal.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Mary Romero, President of the ASA for its 110th session in 2019, when her theme was “Engaging Social Justice for a Better World” has announced she is boycotting this year's meeting in reaction to ASA leadership's decision. With her permission we share the full text of her letter here.
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British Sociological Association @britsoci.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Take part in an essential networking event for Medical Sociology academics and professionals – call for papers by 10 April for the BSA Medical Sociology Annual Conference 2026, 8-10 September, Northumbria University tinyurl.com/bde724d7
Image text is a call for papers by 10 April for the BSA Medical Sociology Annual Conference 2026, 8-10 September, Northumbria University
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Hannah Spencer: "Our strength will grow as more and more of us come together. [...] We have shown that we don't have to accept being turned against each other at all." We love to see a progressive working class Mancunian woman absolutely thrash a hate-mongering grifter. Solidarity forever.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Framing increased rates of autism as a risk in the context of environmental hazards is wildly offensive. This article is a strong example of why reporting on the social/health consequences of climate change needs to be sensitive, reflexive, and informed rather than sensationalist/reactionary bs.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
re: Bad Bunny Grammy win. I had "LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAiI" and "Una Velita" on the syllabus for the course I taught last summer. Perfect songs for talking about how interconnected ecology, social life, and health are - and how they're all affected by coloniality (in PR & Hawai'i).
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George B. Radics @georgeradics.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
It's been a long time coming. After several years of revisions, my book Emotional Filipinos is coming out on April 15th. Please share and retweet! It would really mean a lot to me. Preorder sales available here: ugapress.org/978082037545...
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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
📆 Join us in London/ online next Tuesday to hear from people at the forefront of the fight against the criminalisation of migration and solidarity! With Seán Binder, @captainsupportuk.bsky.social, @vickytaylor.bsky.social and @hallamtuck.bsky.social. Sign up ➡️ www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/even...
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
If you've written a book proposal for an academic press in #sociology or #anthropology, I'd really appreciate reading it. I'm (tentatively) thinking of projects and how to phrase them. Thank you! (to grab your attention as you scroll, here's a pic of the feral kitten that lives in my parents' bar)
Photograph of a black kitten on a white blanket under the red light of a heat lamp.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Submitted my dissertation to the university repository as 210 x 297mm (A4) page size rather than the specified 215.9 x 279.4mm (Letter) as a final act of rebellion.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Just got home to this exciting little stack of books I ordered from @argonautbooks.bsky.social (using up what was left of my research funds 😎). I haven't lived in Edinburgh for a while now, but the magic of the internet means you can still support your "local" independent stores at a distance!
Image shows a stack of books. The books are the following list. The Arcana of Reproduction by Leopoldina Fortunati; One-way Street by Walter Benjamin; An Anthology by Simone Weil; The Storyteller by Walter Benjamin; Poetics of Relation by Édouard Glissant; Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag; Pirate Enlightenment by David Graeber; Society Must be Defended by Michel Foucault; A Grammar of Multitudes by Paolo Virno.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
14 two-year postdocs for academics of any nationality who cannot continue their research due to US politics. Do share if you know of such.
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Dr. Giulia Evolvi @giuliaevolvi.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Every time I read a study and I wonder "why don't they mention the country/context of this research? So confusing!" I then realize it's because the authors are from the U.S.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I passed my defense yesterday, no corrections/revisions. My PhD was about immigrant experiences with healthcare and medical practice in Spain, as approached through different angles/positions, and rooted in medical #sociology / #STS work. Grateful to the *many* people who've helped along the way.
Image shows a cake and pictures of people's faces looking happy. Center of image shows a dissertation front page, the title reads: "Immigrant experiences of healthcare and medical practice in Spain: concerning harm in sexual and reproductive healthcare, the accumulation of advantage and reinterpretation of care, and coloniality as a determinant of health".
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Revisiting some Foucault atm. Crazy how YouTube explainer videos used to be useful for getting an intro or refresher for complicated ideas and now it's just endless AI slop being generated for easy views/ad revenue.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
A local chapter of Food Not Bombs in Bacolod City (Negros island, Philippines) is providing relief through a community kitchen, medicine, and hygiene kits following the devastating impact of typhoon Tino. You can donate via PayPal at: foodnotbombsasia@myyahoo.com
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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 07/10/2025
If you have seen a pregnant, postpartum, or lactating woman in immigration custody, please let the Women's Refugee Commission know by submitting a report through the Detention Pregnancy Tracker. detentionpregnancytracker.com
detentionpregnancytracker.com
Women's Refugee Commission
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 03/10/2025
🚨🚨 My dear friend and fellow academic, the Palestinian American sociologist @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social has been taken by the Cook County Sheriff near Chicago. They have not mirandized her. Please signal boost. All eyes on Broadview for Eman and the community she was defending 🚨🚨
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Lovely few days at the British Sociological Association's medical sociology conference. Wonderful range of presentations and such a supportive space. I shared some recent work about experiences of care and bordering, based on interviews with immigrant mothers in Catalonia (Spain). #MedSoc25
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riceanthro.bsky.social @riceanthro.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
The Anthropology Brown Bag Calendar is up! Join us this fall semester and listen to our favorite anthropologists in our favorite room, Sewall 570. Links and descriptions will be provided before each meeting. Stay tuned! ✨
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
I got my mum a wildlife camera for her 60th, and now I get to enjoy a live feed of our local hedgehogs crunching kibble.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Some wisdom from a diss' interviewee: "I don't know, at the moment, like, just be nice or something. Because recently, I've been feeling like, being kind is really important. Even when somebody's mean towards you. I feel like the energy that being kind radiates is better. And, like, more positive."
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Centre for Research on social InequalitieS @cris-sciencespo.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Call for applications: 12-month postdoctoral contract (Sciences Po - INED, TIERED Project) for a research project studying the mediating role of environmental risks in the relationship between migration status and health at birth in France (e.g., heat, pollution). www.sciencespo.fr/cris/files/P...
sciencespo.fr
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
I <3 library - "walk around the stacks and grab whatever looks good" is a valid literature review strategy.
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Writing in the library atm, a new student and his grandma were looking around the reading room I'm in. They had got a bit lost and thought this was everything. I showed them to the central stacks and grandma's face lit up at the sight of all the books. I love libraries so much, they're magical.
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IMISCOE PhD Network @imiscoe-phdnetwork.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
🚨 Call for Papers for the 2026 IMISCOE Spring Conference “Governing and Experiencing Migration in Contentious Times” 📅 16-18 March 2026 @ Liège, Belgium & Online 📢 Deadline: 5 September 2025, 23:59 CEST. 📍 More info & submission: www.imiscoe.org/events/2393-...
imiscoe.org
2026 IMISCOE Spring Conference - IMISCOE
IMISCOE is the largest European network of scholars in the area of migration and integration. The focus is on comparative research and joint research projects.
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ASA SKAT @asaskat.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
🏆 SKAT #ASA2025 Awards! Congratulations to the following recipients: Hacker-Mullins Student Paper Award Xiaogao Zhou: “Care in transition: Global norms, transnational adaptation, and family-centered gender-affirming care in China” 🔗: doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
I committed to not overfilling my single underseat bag with hoarded books at the conference this year. I failed in that commitment. So here are the six books I picked up in Chicago, from #ASA2025 and @pilsencommbooks.bsky.social
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
At the most elite roundtable at this conference rn #ASA2025
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Rene Almeling @ralmeling.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
#ASA2025 Four(!) regular sessions on reproduction. Starting at 8am and going all day. Hope to see you there!
8am. Repro in the US Post-Roe

10am Reproductive Beliefs and Fertility Intentions

12pm Reproductive Surveillance and Clinical Policing 

2pm States, Laws, and Clinicians: Toward Reproductive Justice
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
If you're at the @asanews.bsky.social conference in Chicago and wondering what to do bright and early tomorrow, join us for this wonderful session! Five papers by a fantastic collection of scholars, all about food systems and inequality. #sociology #ASA2025 #food
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Simon Fern @simonfern.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
The Onion giving an unironically legit teardown of much food insecurity / obesity panic research.
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Cordelia Freeman @cordyf.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
The decimation of life in Gaza is a reproductive genocide. It was a privilege to work with Hala Shoman on our commentary 'No justice in a genocide: sexual and reproductive health and rights in Gaza' in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
No justice in a genocide: sexual and reproductive health and rights in Gaza
Since October 2023, Gaza, Palestine, has been the site of a humanitarian crisis due to violence from Israel, with numerous violations currently undermining sexual and reproductive health and rights...
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Saima Nasar @saimanasar.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
I am working on 'The Asian Mother and Baby Campaign' which ran from 1984-1986. I would love to interview any linkworkers who were employed by the campaign or any women who were supported by linkworkers. Please spread the word or get in touch if this is you! My email is saima.nasar@bristol.ac.uk
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