Culture isn't a fossil, it's a fist-fight!

Culture isn't a fossil, it's a fist-fight!

Author: Dr Alice Evans July 22, 2024 Duration: 33:29
Culture is not a static inheritance, but a dynamic arena of ongoing struggle. From the mosques of Jakarta to the classrooms of Louisiana, from TikTok feeds to university lecture halls, ideological warfare rages. This podcast explores the complex interplay of several crucial factors shaping our cultural landscape: Contestation: Culture is a battlefield where competing ideologies clash, merge, and evolve. Prestigious actors and institutions are especially influential, as others look to them as successful. No norm is set in stone; instead, we see a perpetual push and pull between progressive and conservative forces, each vying to define societal values. Economic growth, technological advances and political freedoms do not entail cultural liberalisation. These are merely vehicles - to be used by progressives and conservatives alike. Religious and cultural traditions: Deep-seated beliefs shape the receptiveness to change, and the scope of public debate. Drawing on my qualitative research across nine world regions and evidence from multiple disciplines, this podcast examines ideological battles in diverse settings, from the United States to the Middle East, Southeast Asia to Latin America.

Conversations on ROCKING OUR PRIORS begin with a simple, powerful idea: that our deepest assumptions about how societies progress deserve a second look. Host Dr Alice Evans, drawing from her roles at King’s College London and the Harvard Kennedy School, doesn’t just interview leading experts-she engages them in a genuine dialogue. Each episode digs into the interconnected engines of change: economic growth, the nuances of governance, and the persistent structures of gender inequality. You’ll hear discussions that are both academic and accessible, where complex theories are tested against real-world evidence and historical patterns. The aim is to unsettle comfortable narratives and examine how transformation actually happens across different cultures. This isn't a lecture series; it's an ongoing exploration designed to challenge and refine your perspective. Tune into the podcast for thoughtful, evidence-based conversations that might just change how you see the world's most pressing social and economic questions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

ROCKING OUR PRIORS
Podcast Episodes
The East Asian Miracle (for women) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:55
Societies vary in their preference for female seclusion. But regardless of culture, female employment rises with job-creating growth. Singapore provides a perfect natural experiment, we can observe how 3 different ethnic…
Does Emigration foster Conservatism? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:53
Panel data provides useful information about attitudinal change in that place. But even if certain countries show persistent traditionalism, we cannot assume this is due to culture. It’s possible - as in Eastern Europe -…
Does Fiction Foster Empathy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:23
By immersing ourselves in another person’s trials and tribulations, are we better able to recognise diverse perspectives and constraints? Might reading fiction, viewing plays and watching television have helped Americans…
Can Social Media Campaigns undo Sexism? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:02
Egypt is one of the most patriarchal countries in the world. 90% of men say that ‘a woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together’. A new paper in Nature examines whether these attitudes can be changed throu…
Culture and Jobs in Asia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:00
A new NBER paper by Barbara Fraumeni sheds light on how culture mediates gender gaps in education and employment. https://www.nber.org/papers/w31535 My Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/culture-and-job-in-asi…
"Freedoms Delayed": Timur Kuran (review) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:16
Why does the Middle East rank poorly for rule of law, trust, civil liberties and corruption? Waqfs and apostasy rules are the root causes, argues Timur Kuran This podcast reviews his new book, "Freedoms Delayed".
"Outsourcing Repression": Professor Lynette Ong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:40
How has the CCP maintained control? - Coercive violence is outsourced to thugs, enabling the state to maintain legitimacy. - Respected social networks engage in ideological propaganda & persuasion (sometimes via shaming)…
“Putin vs. the People”: Greene & Robertson (review) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:02
In “Putin vs. the People”, Samuel Greene and Graham Robertson suggest the annexation of Crimea triggered a groundswell of national pride. Russians rallied for the flag. They saw Putin more positively, turned a blind-eye…
The Origins of States [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:01
What led to the emergence of states? David Schönholzer and Pieter François have a fascinating new paper, arguing that states, cooperation and conflict all emerged more quickly and more typically in places with great farm…