In this episode, Joseph Shaules and Emre Seven tell the story of cultural explorer Franz Boas. Born in 1858, Boas brought a scientific mind to the study of human diversity. We learn about his near-death experience studying the Inuit in the Canadian arctic, and the scientific debates he engaged in (e.g. against racism). His insights are relevant for all cultural bridge people even today.
Why are we blind to culture? This episode explores culture and the unconscious mind. We learn how our understanding of culture and mind has changed over time–from a realm of powerful urges and shameful desires, to a more scientific view of the autopilot of everyday life; one that has been customized by culture. And yet, culture’s influence on our minds is invisible to us. Hosted by Joseph Shaules and Ishita Ray with special thanks to Daniel Glinz.
A foreign experience takes you down a road less traveled . . . it leads to new worlds that transform us. In this episode, we hear stories about the decisions that lead us into an unforeseen future. Zeina Matar talks about leaving Lebanon and her feeling of exile; Ishita Ray introduces us to Champa’s dreams of a better life for her daughter; Joseph tells of a small notepad that changed his life, together with stories from Emre Seven and Yvonne van der Pol. We also learn about the science of decision making and the transformative learning theory of Jack Mezirow.
Whether in the schoolyard or on the battlefield, dividing the world into “us” vs. “them” comes naturally to humans. In this episode, Joseph Shaules and Ishita Ray explore “otherness” through stories and brain-mind science. Ishita shares her father’s experience as an “other”—and the wisdom he passed on to her. We learn about the inspiring vision of Rabindranath Tagore, and find that research into empathy provides hints at how we can look beyond . . . and look into . . . the differences that divide us.
This episode is a tribute to intercultural pioneer Edward T. Hall. We talk about his cultural learning journey, and why his work is so inspirational. We argue that his insights about culture and mind were 50 years ahead of his time, anticipating current research in brain-mind sciences. Featuring Daniel Glinz as the voice of Edward T. Hall.
