[Ask AI] Epicenter GPT | Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University

Social Technology for Aging Societies (with Arthur Kleinman, Hong-Tu Chen, Ann Forsyth, and Fawwaz Habbal)

People aged sixty-five and older make up the fastest growing population around the world, posing unique challenges to societies. A Harvard initiative called Social Technology for Global Aging Research is founded on the belief that there’s a great potential for technologies and interventions to benefit the elderly, but only if they are developed with a deep understanding of day-to-day life. In the scope of this collaboration, technology for the elderly covers a wide range of needs—from engineering hardware for mobility to designing living environments and even tackling the logistics of meeting friends for tea. It’s an expansive collaboration between Harvard scholars and their Chinese counterparts. We speak with four collaborators who share fascinating examples of their work.

The founder of the initiative, Arthur Kleinman, believes that aging societies represent an unprecedented transformation of the global population that introduces a range of challenges. He emphasizes the need to bring together various disciplines—such as medical practitioners, engineers, and anthropologists, to name a few—to collaboratively solve problems the elderly face in their day to day lives. Much of the team’s research is conducted on the ground in China, where about 30 percent of the population of China will be sixty-five or older by 2050.

Fawwaz Habbal points out the particular challenges of engineering products and services for this constituency, but also highlights the great insights that emerge from using a multidisciplinary approach.

Ann Forsyth discusses the desire of the elderly to “age in place,” and what that means from an urban planning and housing perspective. The locations that may be desirable at one stage in life often change in older age. In China, for example, many older people have moved from the rural areas to the cities, and culturally it’s frowned upon to relocate parents to assisted living facilities.

Designing social interventions can be just as powerful as designing an effective piece of hardware. Drawing on his vast experience with older patients and elder resources, Hong-Tu Chen describes a simple method for fostering connections between children and their elderly parents.

All four scholars share fascinating stories about unintended consequences of new technologies, and surprisingly simple interventions that can have a powerful impact on quality of life.

Guests:

Arthur Kleinman, Faculty Associate. Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University; Professor of Medical Anthropology in Global Health and Social Medicine; Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

Hong-Tu Chen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

Ann Forsyth, Faculty Associate. Ruth and Frank Stanton Professor of Urban Planning; Interim Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Fawwaz Habbal, senior lecturer in applied physics, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enDecember 14, 2023

Who Can Stop a Dictator? Resistance to the War in Ukraine (with Sasha de Vogel, Serhii Plokhy, and Alexandra Vacroux)

When the Wagner mercenary group staged a near coup in Moscow in June, it was seen as the greatest challenge to Vladimir Putin’s regime in decades. Though it didn’t come to fruition, it nevertheless exposed some of the fissures in Putin’s ironclad control over the military and the course of the war on Ukraine. Could it be a harbinger of future revolts? How do Russian citizens feel about the continuation of the war? We speak with three scholars of history and political science to find out what this event might mean for Russia’s war machine and for Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

The Wagner rebellion may open the possibility of future revolts, but only if Ukraine’s counteroffensive makes more progress, says Serhii Plokhy. He reminds us of Russia’s past defeats and its pattern of regime change linked to failures on the battlefield.

In spite of its grave losses, Ukrainian morale remains high, says Alexadra Vacroux. But the war is forcing the population to undergo a major demographic shift, which will have a profound impact on the country’s recovery.

Sasha de Vogel gives insight into public opinion in Russia, the consequences for speaking out against the war, and why there is so little civil resistance. She dispels Western myths about the suppression and repression of Russian citizens and believes Putin will keep fighting this war until death.

Finally, the scholars share their opinions on what is needed to end this devastating war.

This episode was produced in collaboration with the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Ukrainian Research Institute, both at Harvard University.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center

Guests:

Sasha de Vogel, Postdoctoral Researcher, Authoritarian Politics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Former Raphael Morrison Dorman Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Serhii Plokhy, Faculty Associate. Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History, Department of History; Director, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University.

Alexandra Vacroux, Executive Director, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

Follow the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs:

enAugust 25, 2023

Can Erdogan be Unseated? (with Ahmet Akbiyik, Andrew O’Donohue, and SZ)

The presidential election in Turkey this spring is shaping up to be the most consequential in decades. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has led the country for twenty years, is facing the staunchest opposition in his career in the form of an unprecedented coalition of six parties, called the “Table of Six.” Their presidential candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has been widely described as low-key, bland, and uncharismatic. But could he be the perfect person to unseat Erdogan? To get us up to speed on this exciting election, we speak with three Graduate Student Associates whose research takes us into the governance, politics, and culture of Turkey—past and present.

SZ sets the stage by invoking the typical raucous mood of Turkish elections through political songs that celebrate various social identities. Although Erdogan silenced the usual soundscape of elections this year by banning public music out of respect for earthquake victims, music nonetheless has emerged.

How does a leader go from being called a “democratizer” to a “strongman”? Andrew O’Donohue explains how Erdogan consolidated the power of the presidency and weakened government institutions during his twenty-year leadership. He notes there are some signs of weakening support for Erdogan, including recent defections from his party and public protests last year against the conviction of the mayor of Istanbul—and would-be presidential contender— for insulting public officials.

Voter polarization makes it difficult to predict the outcome of the elections, explains Ahmet Akbiyik, and his own research has shown the media landscape is equally polarized. He points out the pitfalls of government-friendly businesses owning powerful entities like television stations, newspapers, and even weapons manufacturing.

The scholars emphasize that Turkey holds a unique geopolitical position in central Asia, as it remains a top trading partner with Russia, but also supplies weapons to Ukraine. It’s also a member of NATO and has been seeking membership in the European Union, so any change of government will have an impact on all these factors.

If Erdogan loses, will he accept the outcome of the elections and let go of power? If he wins, will the elections be seen as fair? Will the one million citizens displaced by the earthquake be able to vote? The scholars debate how the public may respond to the election outcome, and whether or not a new regime can strengthen Turkey’s democracy.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Ahmet Akbiyik, Graduate Student Associate. PhD Candidate, Program in Political Economy and Government, Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrew O’Donohue, Graduate Student Associate. PhD Candidate, Department of Government, Harvard University.

SZ, Graduate Student Associate. PhD Candidate, Department of Music, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enMay 10, 2023

What Is Holding Up the Transition to Green Energy? (with Dustin Tingley, Jeff Colgan, and Aleksandra Conevska)

Green technology has come a long way, to the extent that it can, in theory, be scaled up to solve the world’s energy problems. If this is true, then why does the US lag so far behind in transitioning away from fossil fuels? This episode addresses the politics of climate change by looking at the sources of public distrust. To frame the discussion, three scholars investigate the nature of major economic transformations, the youth movement, and what we can learn from other countries.

Traveling into the heart of US fossil fuel communities, Dustin Tingley reports on the work of his team to uncover the sentiments of the citizens who will be most affected when fossil fuel plants are closed. The common theme is a lack of belief that the government will offer a social safety net when workers lose their jobs and when towns lose their revenue.

Jeff Colgan takes us through some major energy transitions of the past and explains why green energy is different. He also points to strategies citizens in other countries have leveraged to move their governments forward.

Drawing on original research, Aleksandra Conevska explores differences between youth and adult political behavior regarding climate action, and separately on the unintended consequences of green party politics. Ending on a hopeful note, the group explains there are definitely new green jobs on the horizon, especially in the trades, and it’s time to give vocational education more attention.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Dustin Tingley, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. Professor of Government, Department of Government, Harvard University.

Jeff Colgan, Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Watson Institute for Public and International Affairs, Brown University.

Aleksandra Conevska, Graduate Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. PhD Candidate, Department of Government, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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Epicenter

enFebruary 06, 2023

climate change

energy transition

inflation reduction act

green energy

fossil fuels

The Politics of Sports (with Susie Petruccelli, Justin Morrow, and Isabel Jijón)

There’s a shadow over World Cup Soccer this year, and it’s become impossible to separate the sports from the politics. Host country Qatar gained notoriety for bribes, exploitation of workers, and antigay laws. In this episode, a group of athletes and scholars take a close look at the concept of “sportswashing” and consider what’s at stake for professional athletes who might want to take a stand against a host country’s civil and human rights abuses.

In his role as an activist, Justin Morrow explains some of the successes of Black Players for Change, an organization he cofounded to address discrimination against Blacks in soccer and all sports. Susie Petruccelli talks about her efforts to challenge FIFA’s wage gap for women players. Sociologist Isabel Jijón gives examples of how sportswashing can backfire for a host country. She shares some feedback from her students about the backlash against athletes who stand up.

High-profile players can bring attention to important issues but also expose themselves to retaliation by their governments. The group talks about the video created by the Australian National Soccer team representing a collective action to speak out against human rights abuses in Qatar. They also consider whether high-profile athletes have a moral obligation to use their platform and influence to bring injustices to light.

Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on November 10, 2022, before the Iranian national team refused to sing the national anthem at its first game against England; before Iranian soccer player Voria Ghafouri was arrested for his criticism of his government’s crackdown on women’s rights protesters; and before FIFA threatened to ban players who wore rainbow armbands.

Guest Host:

Ted Gilman, Executive Director, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Guests:

Susie Petruccelli, Global Sports Fellow, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Transformations (WIGH). Author and Producer.

Justin Morrow, 2021–2022 Visiting Fellow, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Transformations (WIGH). Executive Director, Black Players for Change; Technical Development Manager, Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment.

Isabel Jijón, Harvard College Fellow, Department of Sociology, Harvard University. Research Consultant, Child Protection and Development Team, UNICEF.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enNovember 30, 2022

Lebanon in Free Fall (with Melani Cammett, Carmen Geha, Nate George, and Lana Salman)

Lebanon has been called many different things: a gem of the Middle East, a failed state, a geopolitical Gordian knot (or nightmare). Its financial system has recently collapsed, people cannot find basic services, and residents are still recovering from the massive Beirut explosion of 2020. It may be a complex country to wrap your mind around, but our four scholars tell you everything you need to know about daily life in Lebanon: how are people getting by, who is in control, the geopolitics of the region, and the history behind it.

Lana Salman shares a detailed account of daily life in Lebanon, where people must wait hours in line to obtain goods and services. The civil uprising really began back in October 2019, and it was different from others, explains Carmen Geha, because it was so widespread. Citizen protests have continued since then, and have increased in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion in 2020 for which no one has taken responsibility, they note.

After decades of witnessing corruption at the highest levels, the Lebanese may be at a tipping point. Geha and Salman share examples of citizens creating their own organizations to address humanitarian needs, as an alternative to relying on the default sectarian sponsored hand-outs.

To understand the levers of control, Melani Cammett explains the power-sharing structure of the government, and she and Geha emphasize that the current leaders are the unpunished perpetrators of war crimes (“warlords”) from the chaotic, multiparty Lebanese civil war (1975–1990).

Nate George offers important background on the steps leading up to the current financial crisis and describes the geopolitical crossroads Lebanon occupies today in the Middle East. He also explains why Western countries are no longer eager to support Lebanon during the current fiscal crisis.

Lebanon indeed has a complex history and remains an important player in the Middle East. With a mix of anecdote and history, our conversation is a sobering primer on the many layers and realities of Lebanon.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Melani Cammett, Director, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Department of Government, Harvard University; Professor in the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Carmen Geha, Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Scholars Program (fall 2021). Associate Professor of Public Administration, Department of Political Studies and Public Administration, American University of Beirut.

Nate George, Raphael Morrison Dorman Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Scholars Program. PhD, Department of History, Rice University.

Lana Salman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enMarch 16, 2022

Negotiating with Terrorists Part 2 (with Annette Idler, Jytte Klausen, and Fredrik Logevall)

Pulling out of Afghanistan was the top foreign policy event of 2021. Perhaps overlooked in the collective relief to be done with this twenty-year war is the fact that the US had to negotiate with terrorists to get there. In fact, it ceded an entire country to a violent, extremist group. Throughout history, leaders—including those from the US—have vowed never to negotiate with terrorists, but then reverse course. In this two-part episode, three scholars of history, international relations, and foreign policy discuss historic examples and the complexities of negotiating with violent—even murderous—groups.

While part 1 explores the caveats of labeling a group “terrorist,” part 2 addresses how to negotiate with terrorists without legitimizing their methods or ideology, and address what happens to a nation’s reputation when they give in, give up, or back down in the face of extremist groups. If the US is willing to negotiate with the Taliban, should it also be open to negotiating with Hamas or ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Jytte Klausen points out that if the demands of the adversaries are reasonable and pragmatic, there is usually an opportunity to work together, the operative word being “if.” Annette Idler describes the successful negotiations with the FARC in Colombia as an example of careful planning and evaluation before the actual talks, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the attitudes, opinions and experiences of local citizens in a conflict zone.

The concern that negotiating with groups that use terror and violence will somehow encourage or legitimize their methods does not bear out, according to Fredrik Logevall. He compares the US retreat from Vietnam to that of Afghanistan and finds fascinating similarities, but also key differences, such as lack of public engagement on the latter.

Non-state armed groups are part of the new global security picture, Klausen believes, and she highlights regions that are volatile today, such as India/Pakistan/Kashmir. We should not underestimate the importance of Afghanistan in regional stability, she warns. Since extremists groups are likely here to stay, Idler describes a multilevel approach to incorporating non-state actors into foregin policy strategies.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Annette Idler, Weatherhead Center Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Scholars Program. Director, Global Security Programme, Pembroke College, Oxford University.

Jytte Klausen, Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation, Brandeis University.

Fredrik Logevall, Weatherhead Center Faculty Associate. Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; Professor of History, Department of History, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enJanuary 20, 2022

Negotiating with Terrorists Part 1 (with Annette Idler, Jytte Klausen, and Fredrik Logevall)

Pulling out of Afghanistan was the top foreign policy event of 2021. Perhaps overlooked in the collective relief to be done with this twenty-year war is the fact that the US had to negotiate with terrorists to get there. In fact, it ceded an entire country to a violent, extremist group. Throughout history, leaders—including those from the US—have vowed never to negotiate with terrorists, but then reverse course. In this two-part episode, three scholars of history, international relations, and foreign policy discuss historic examples and the complexities of negotiating with violent—even murderous—groups.

Part 1 explores the caveats of labeling a group “terrorist.” Jytte Klausen explains the importance of having an internationally recognized designation, while Annette Idler notes that labels can be used for political reasons such as to garner aid or rally public support. Using Indochina and the Viet Cong as examples, Fred Logevall sheds light on early terrorist tactics. Sometimes violent groups evolve into conventional political actors, as did Sinn Fein, the political faction of the IRA, or the FARC in Colombia. (A few days after this recording the Biden Administration took FARC off the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations because it no longer engages in violence.)

From Nixon, Reagan, and Thatcher to leaders in Spain, Turkey, and China: many heads of state have taken an absolutist position against working with violent groups, only to renege on that promise later. Our scholars discuss why leaders change their minds, and how timing can be a critical factor in determining when conditions are ripe for productive talks.

Part 2 takes up the questions of how to negotiate with terrorists without legitimizing their methods or ideology, and what happens to a nation’s reputation when they give in, give up, or back down in the face of extremist groups.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Annette Idler, Weatherhead Center Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Scholars Program. Director, Global Security Programme, Pembroke College, Oxford University.

Jytte Klausen, Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation, Brandeis University.

Fredrik Logevall, Weatherhead Center Faculty Associate. Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; Professor of History, Department of History, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enJanuary 04, 2022

The Blurry Lines of Belonging (with Talia Shiff, Anna Skarpelis, and Elke Winter)

We think of citizenship as a binary category: you’re either a citizen or you’re not. But the levels of membership can be complex. Refugees and asylum seekers often find that the criteria for acceptance change, as states devise rationales to exclude them. Three Weatherhead Center sociologists reveal the motivations behind various immigration policies, from the colonial past to the present, and discuss the ethics and impact of open borders.

In this episode, Elke Winter explains the different pathways to citizenship, not only for “economic immigrants” but also for refugees and asylum seekers. From an historical perspective, Anna Skarpelis reminds us that some groups have had citizenship imposed on them, in the case of territorial annexation. In the United States, asylum and immigration laws seem to change with each new administration, and Talia Shiff documents some of the impact of the recent changes during the Trump administration.

After World War II, the UN Declaration of Human Rights established that all human beings have the right to basic food, shelter, and security, and the right to freedom of movement—even if they cannot access these rights in their own countries. But nations have likely always strayed from these humanitarian values as their geopolitical goals change. Our scholars show how strategic interests and even race come into play, unofficially, to drive prevailing immigration policies.

Finally, our scholars delve into the philosophical and ethical context for having more open borders and touch on the economic impact of immigration. On a philosophical level, they raise the questions: What do we owe others? Can a nation redress its colonial legacy through immigration policy? Do developed nations have a moral obligation to those in poorer regions who are trying to find a secure home?

With an estimated eighty million people on Earth in flux and looking for permanent settlement, our scholars stress that no single country can resolve this crisis on its own.

Host:

Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Talia Shiff, Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Comparative Inequality and Inclusion. Assistant Professor, Tel Aviv University; Lecturer in Sociology, Harvard University.

Anna Skarpelis, Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Comparative Inequality and Inclusion. PhD, Department of Sociology, New York University.

Elke Winter, William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies, Canada Program; Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Comparative Inequality and Inclusion.

Professor of Sociology, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Music credits:

Rainbow Bridge by Siddhartha Corsus is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Choir by XendomArts https://pixabay.com/users/xendomarts-11117859/

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enMay 12, 2021

COVID-19 and Climate Change Part 2 (with Alicia Harley, Rob Paarlberg, and Troy Vettese)

COVID-19 radically reduced global productivity, but isn’t that just what we need to combat climate change? Is there such a thing as a silver lining in this pandemic? In Episode 5, we continue the conversation about the relationship between COVID-19 and climate change. Three Weatherhead Center scholars guide us through the complex environmental and political systems that constrain efforts for systemic change, and discuss what needs to be done today.

The second episode of this two-part podcast series looks more closely at the politics of COVID-19 and climate change and other countries’ efforts to reduce fossil fuel use.

As mentioned in part 1, the lynchpin of these two crises is land—how much of our planet’s surface area is dedicated to raising and growing food for animals. Troy Vettese stresses that scientists have known about the dangers of close human contact with animals since the1800s and many organizations have urged the reduction of meat consumption for public health reasons.

Robert Paarlberg elaborates on the origin of the virus, and describes the pandemic’s impact on the African continent. Alicia Harley sees the pandemic as a wake up to advance grassroots momentum generated by the Green New Deal.

Finally, our scholars debate the practicality and caveats of the Green New Deal, and what steps a new Biden Administration can take to address environmental needs from day one.

Host:

Kathleen Molony, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Alicia Harley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School. PhD, Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.

Robert L. Paarlberg, Weatherhead Center Associate. Associate, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Betty F. Johnson ‘44 Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Wellesley College.

Troy Vettese, Weatherhead Center William Lyon Mackenzie King Postdoctoral Fellow, Canada Program. PhD, Department of History, New York University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enJanuary 26, 2021

global challenges to land use

optimism about sustainability

COVID-19 and Climate Change Part 1 (with Alicia Harley, Rob Paarlberg, and Troy Vettese)

COVID-19 forced radical change on the world, but isn’t that just what we need to combat climate change? The simple concepts of how we use land and how we eat may very well determine the future of our species—and our planet. Three Weatherhead Center scholars guide us through the complex environmental and political systems that constrain efforts for systemic change, and discuss what needs to be done today.

The first episode of this two-part podcast series looks at how COVID-19 and climate change are part of the same human-made crisis.

The lynchpin of these two crises is land—how much of our planet’s surface area is dedicated to raising and growing food for animals. Troy Vettese believes we will not be able to slow down the effects of climate change without giving up meat production, which is something human beings do not need to survive. But how can people be convinced to stop eating meat?

Robert Paarlberg describes the vast improvements in agricultural output in recent decades and the known methods for protecting humans from animal viruses in the factory farm setting, as witnessed in Europe. Alicia Harley emphasizes the new momentum around climate change politics and demand for plant-based meats, both of which have increased during the pandemic.

What a sustainable society would really look like and whether or not we can get to that goal without drastically changing our economy or our governance is a question of utmost urgency, and our scholars agree major steps must be taken in the next ten years.

Host:

Kathleen Molony, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Alicia Harley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Lecturer in Environmental Science and Public Policy, Harvard College. PhD, Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.

Robert L. Paarlberg, Weatherhead Center Associate. Associate, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Betty F. Johnson ‘44 Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Wellesley College.

Troy Vettese, Weatherhead Center William Lyon Mackenzie King Postdoctoral Fellow, Canada Program. PhD, Department of History, New York University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enDecember 09, 2020

sustainable food strategies

global challenges to land use

Pandemic Stress (with Vikram Patel, Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, and Giuseppe Raviola)

Whether or not you’ve been exposed to the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic impacts everyone’s sense of well-being. Three scholars in the field of global mental health look at the various ways loss, fear, anxiety—and on top of it, a massive global recession—weigh on the mental well-being of different groups. And they anticipate a surge in demand for mental health services as a result of the pandemic.

Although the contemporary world has never seen the likes of such economic contraction as we have now, the recession of 2008 might be an instructive case. Vikram Patel, professor of global health and population, explains what is known about the mental health impacts stemming from that recent recession. Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, a sociologist and medical anthropologist, gets inside the mind and experiences of the doctors and healthcare workers who are taking care of us (and it’s not necessarily what you would expect). And psychiatrist Dr. Giuseppe Raviola gives an unflinching look at what American families and kids are struggling with during lockdown.

The scholars also discuss the fraught state of mental health service delivery in the US, and advocate for adopting an approach to mental health services very different from the US’s hierarchical system of licensed specialists.

Finally, our guests confront the great disparities in the hardships this pandemic creates: in short, wealthy people are doing just fine and have all the advantages, while for others, the pandemic has taken away so many of the resources they once had, causing enduring stress.

Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on May 22, 2020 when the US had approximately 1.5 million positive COVID-19 cases.

Host:

Kathleen Molony, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Vikram Patel, Faculty Associate. The Pershing Square Professor of Global Health and Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Professor, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, Faculty Associate. Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Sociology, Harvard University. For the past thirty years, she has cohosted the Friday Morning Seminar in Culture, Psychiatry, and Global Mental Health at the Weatherhead Center.

Giuseppe (“Bepi”) Raviola, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, and the Director of Mental Health for Partners in Health, a Boston-based humanitarian healthcare organization that serves ten countries. Bepi is actively involved in training contact tracers in Massachusetts through Partners in Health.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Host:

Kathleen Molony, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Jeffry A. Frieden, Faculty Associate. Chair; Stanfield Professor of International Peace, Department of Government, Harvard University.

Christina L. Davis, Director, Program on U.S.-Japan Relations; Faculty Associate. Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study; Professor of Government, Department of Government, Harvard University.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enApril 14, 2020

Inequality in the US and Europe (with Michèle Lamont, Peter A. Hall, and Paul Pierson)

Despite the decline in global poverty rates over the past five or six decades, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow ever wider, especially in the industrialized West. Three scholars—Michèle Lamont, Peter A. Hall, and Paul Pierson—discuss how housing and education can actually reinforce inequality, and who in our society is seen as “deserving” of getting help, or not, and how that has changed over time.

Paul Pierson has studied “superstar cities,” such as San Francisco and New York, that have become places that concentrate wealth and opportunities for advancement but have exorbitant housing costs. He compares those cities to Paris or London, which have a different policy landscape for affordable housing. Peter Hall describes how middle and upper income families in the US hoard opportunities for their children, a process that actually begins in preschool. And he offers a method for making university admissions more equitable. Michèle Lamont describes the power of institutional or state narratives in shaping the collective understanding of who’s welcome and deserving of support.

Our guests represent three different disciplines—sociology, government, and political science—and they collaborated with other contributors for a special edition of the journal Dædalus, published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This special issue focuses on various systems of inequality in the US and Europe with insightful historical and comparative context.

Lamont, Hall, and Pierson are all former directors of the Successful Societies Program at CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, which studies the ways in which healthy societies work. Each is a current or former affiliate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, where this podcast was produced.

Host:

Kathleen Molony, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:

Michèle Lamont, Weatherhead Center Director and Faculty Associate (on leave 2019–2020). Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies; Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies, Departments of Sociology and African and African American Studies, Harvard University.

Peter A. Hall, Weatherhead Center Faculty Associate. Krupp Foundation Professor of European Studies, Department of Government, Harvard University.

Paul Pierson, John Gross Professor of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley.

Producer/Director:

Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

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Episode Credits:

Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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enJanuary 30, 2020

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