Episode 48: Speaking Body Language

“It is really hard to completely re-learn how to express yourself without using words. When you take away speech, you have to re-invent the way you express yourself. You have to exaggerate your body language and your facial expressions.”
— Jodelle Ferland
“We’re losing social skills, the human interaction skills, how to read a person’s mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanizes what is a very, very important part of community life and living together.”
— Vincent Nichols

While most people would point to verbal languages as the focal point of most human communication, the expressive power of the human body (and those of many animals!) cannot be denied. Increasingly, psychologists and other social scientists believe body language holds substantial attention and weight in social interaction. Because of the relevance and interest in the topic, we were happy to welcome Edgar Arceo this week to discuss some of these phenomena with us.

Episode 47: The World of Online Relationships

“Above all, Internet dating has helped people of all ages realize that there’s no need to settle for a mediocre relationship.”
— Mark Brooks, consultant to online-dating companies, 2011
“Let’s be real, there’s nothing wrong in a distant relationship that is honest but we must live in a realistic fact that phone calls are cool, texts are alright, tweets are chill, a Facebook message is okay, but nothing...I mean nothing beats seeing someone in person!”
— Kemmy Nola
“The market is hugely more efficient … People expect to—and this will be increasingly the case over time—access people anywhere, anytime, based on complex search requests … Such a feeling of access affects our pursuit of love … the whole world (versus, say, the city we live in) will, increasingly, feel like the market for our partner(s). Our pickiness will probably increase.”
— Mark Brooks, consultant to online-dating companies, 2011

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 46: Considering Marriage in Our Lives

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”
— Mignon McLaughlin
“When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
“Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.”
— James Dobson

When we go about our daily lives, we often forget or gloss over the complex systems of relationships and individuals who lead us to be who we are. Marriage, like many other social concepts, binds families and couples the world over. Libby Gardner joins us this week to examine some of the reasons for which people get married and to discuss the option of marriage itself and why some may or may not choose to pursue it. 

*As an important amendment, this episode was recorded before the historic Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015 in favor of Marriage Equality.

Episode 45: Human Beings and Pet Ownership

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.”
— Martin Buber
“Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
— Anatole France
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”
— Josh Billings

This week we welcome Elliot Cromer to discuss some of his experiences and thoughts on pets and pet ownership. Both of us come from families with pets (especially Elliot) and we wanted to examine how people approach household animals. We also discuss some of the responsibilities and tasks necessary to care for the animals we own.

Episode 44: Social Implications of Body Hair

“I hit puberty at a really early age and had body hair before a lot of other kids, and was bullied for this ... My mum used to painstakingly pluck and wax my bushy eyebrows for me because I was so worried about fitting in. Now I just let them do their thing.”
— Katie, 21, Sydney, Australia
“My hair on my head is praised for being so long and beautiful, but my body hair is seen as ‘disgusting.’ Why? They both grow out of my skin.... If someone is offended or disgusted by my natural body hair, then in all honesty, I’m glad it repels them from my life.””
— Elvira, Los Angeles, California

This week we welcome Tim Jurney to discuss ideas surrounding body hair. Scientific research has not concluded its every purpose on the body, though several hypotheses have been put forth. Nonetheless, people and cultures around the globe have made statements of approval or dissatisfaction with gendered and socioeconomic motivations. How do we consider body hair on others and on ourselves? Are our views ever independent of the societies in which we live?