What can Google Trends tell us about secularisation and masculinity in the US, Mexico and India?

What can Google Trends tell us about secularisation and masculinity in the US, Mexico and India?

Author: Dr Alice Evans May 22, 2023 Duration: 6:57
As a social scientist, I see myself as constructing a four-dimensional jigsaw, piecing together little bits of data, identifying patterns and iteratively recalibrating. No methodology is perfect, each has its strengths and limitations. Google Trends helps us triangulate public opinion polls. It reveals what internet users actually want to see and learn about. So let's run a few searches for the US, Mexico and India. Share your suggestions!

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
Toxic Masculinity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:25
Lead poisoning rots your brain. Babies exposed to lead are more likely to academically under-perform, get suspended, and become violent criminals. As far as I am aware, no one has researched how lead impacts gender. But…
Reverse Dominance Coalitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
Status inequalities persist if they are normalised and culturally celebrated, while critics are shamed, disparaged and ostracised. Culture only changes when masses of people speak out in solidarity, embolden each other w…
Why dont men want so many kids? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:12
Both conservatives and progressives typically presume that falling fertility is due to a shift in women’s preferences. Conservatives often lay blame on “over-educated women”, privileging their careers. Progressives, mean…
What is Patriarchy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:30
I was just asked to define patriarchy in two sentences. Let me try! In patriarchal societies, prestigious positions are dominated by men; this reinforces beliefs that men are more competent in socially valued domains, de…
Economic Precarity & Cultural Persistence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:55
Why have some countries undergone rapid cultural change, while others are marked by persistence? And why does social norm policing often revolve around gender? One key mediating factor is the great economic divergence. S…
How Culture Normalises Patriarchy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:24
Norms matter, but how exactly? What are the precise mechanisms of cultural persistence? Drawing on my qualitative research in India, Mexico, Morocco, Zambia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Italy and Turkey, I suggest 8 ways in which…
How Popular is Andrew Tate? And Why? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:45
Andrew Tate gained notoriety on social media for espousing sexism. A new public opinion poll by YouGov rocks my priors. Favourability is far higher than I expected. 14% of young British men agree that a wife is her husba…