The upcoming release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens offers an unprecedented opportunity to discuss the historic, popular and influential film series as a greater whole. In anticipation of the climactic return to the franchise after 10 years, we welcome Sam Whipple to examine the impact Star Wars has had on global, cultural and generational levels. We explore the past of the franchise and talk about our hopes and expectations of The Force Awakens, as well as the excitement, controversy and mysteries surrounding it. We would like to thank Trevor Hailey, Chris Katzmann, Nico Hargreaves-Heald and Haleh Kanani for their written contributions which are available to read below.
Episode 65: The Abolition of China's One-Child Policy
Established in the 1970's to control population growth, China's One-Child Policy is likely to be repealed in coming months. The decision to end the restriction followed a four-day strategy meeting of senior Communist Party officials at a Beijing hotel in late October. This policy and its potential conclusion have had profound economic, social, psychological and personal effects on the Chinese people. We discuss our opinions on its impact and possible futures it might create. Of course, our primary lens is as Americans living on the outside and we acknowledge this.
Further Reading:
The New York Times "Amartya Sen: Women’s Progress Outdid China’s One-Child Policy"
Business Insider, "China's one-child policy is staying in effect for now"
USA Today, "China’s one-child policy posed economic, ethical issues"
National Geographic, "How China's One-Child Policy Backfired Disastrously"
Episode 47: The World of Online Relationships
We're very happy to welcome Phoebe Lewis this week to discuss the nature of online relationships in the modern age. Not restricted to digital tales of romance, we wanted to examine how people behave both online and in reality as it parallels happenings on the Internet. We share our experiences, anecdotes of academic studies and offer insight on how to best navigate the ever-expanding realm of cyber-socializing.
Episode 39: Issues with Multitasking
This week we wanted to consider something all of us do in this day and age: multitasking. Several studies and experts conclude that it has detrimental effects on both our mental processing abilities and our productive potential. Certainly it does not originate from one source in particular and we address several responses to the issue which permeates various aspects of our lives.