#52 - Menopause: A Cultural Syndrome? - A Dialogue with Susan Mattern

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Susan Mattern about menopause. They start by discussing her reasons and motivations for writing her most recent book, The Slow Moon Climbs: The science, history, and meaning of menopause. They explain the two definitions of menopause and the origins of menopause. They spend considerable time discussing the importance of the grandmother hypothesis and the role of mother-in-laws. They also talk about how humans evolved into a patriarchal society during agricultural societies and how we have gendered roles of labor. They also discuss whether menopause is a cultural syndrome and the best ways to discuss menopause in modern society. 

Susan Mattern is a Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Georgia. Her teaching and research focuses on world history, namely, Greek, Roman, and Ancient Egypt. She has written two books on the ancient physician, Galen, and her most recent book on menopause,The Slow Moon Climbs: The science, history, and meaning of menopause. You can find her research on her website.