For all the time many of us will spend with others in a workplace, circumstances aren't always positive or healthy. Some work environments deteriorate so thoroughly that health, productivity and interpersonal trust collapse as a result. This week, Ina Coveney joins us to share her insights on the topic of toxic workplaces. How to destructive habits become silently interwoven into work culture? How does work culture make it difficult to change problems we observe and experience?
Episode 198: 'Twixt Art and Media, Fair Use
As long as art has helped human beings go beyond traditional limits, understandings and perceptions, legal systems have attempted to impose order, rules and confines within which to live. At their intriguing intersection, among other concepts, exists Fair Use and other approaches to regulating some artistic practices. But how do limits interact with the realm of the boundless? How do terms like parody and satire muddy the waters and complicate our understanding of unfair duplication or artistic augmentation?
Episode 197: "Can We Be Friends?"
Although friendships often promote compassion, shared perspectives and overall understanding, getting there from a state of non-acquaintance isn't always straightforward. Younger years offer more chances to tumble into lifelong bonds, but as we grow older, the transition from stranger to friend can become more rocky. This week, we welcome Sarah Pruski to explore the nuances of the question "Can we be friends?" What vulnerabilities does it illuminate? How is it uncomfortable for some and appealing for others? How does it create attention where some might prefer subtlety?
Episode 196: The Celebrity Crush
The concept of a celebrity crush has become commonplace in our culture - the famed folks after whom we pine, lust and dream. Many of us look to celebrities as icons of romantic or sexual interests. Their fame helps us describe our feelings and attractions. But why does the term have traction? Why do we find it so appealing and accessible? How does the term reflect a tendency towards or preference of the visible?
Episode 195: The Pressure to Parent
Of the many near-universal life experiences shared across the world, parenthood is near the top of the list. For as long as humans have roamed the earth, their parents have brought them to the very pale blue dot we all inhabit. But what of the numerous folks who choose not to have children? This week, we speak with Susannah O'Neil about her experiences being judged or confronted by others (including strangers) about her decision. Why do some feel comfortable and permitted to make such remarks? How does a biological interest in procreation give rise to social commentary on others' decisions?
