Tag Archives: Feminism

Scholars’ Circle – The Suffragist Peace: How Women Shape the Politics of War – April 14, 2024

The expansion of the vote to women throughout the 20th Century has had an impact on the discourses and politics of war and peace. What is the relationship between women voting, electing women leaders, and women-lead groups in civil society on the issue of war and peace?
Does the expansion of the vote to women lead to the election of women as leaders? And are these leaders more committed to peace than their male counterparts? We explore a new book, The Suffragist Peace: How Women Shape the Politics of War..[ dur: 58mins. ]

Book cover of The Suffragist Peace, classic painting with woman in center against war and suffering

Together they have authored The Suffragist Peace: How Women Shape the Politics of War

This program is produced by Doug Becker, Ankine Aghassian, Maria Armoudian and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle – Abortion limits and its consequence – September 24, 2023

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, what are the legal and medical ramifications of the huge geographical swaths of women who have no access to abortion? We discuss reproductive healthcare in a post-Dobbs world. What has it meant for the medical profession and the ways in which it had to alter some of the ways healthcare is provided? How have women sought to secure access to abortion in the areas of the country where it is not legal? Mifepristone, the medicine used to terminate pregnancy, faces severe challenges and restrictions. What does this mean for access to medicinal abortion access? What can the areas where it is legal do to help their counterparts in red states? [dur: 58mins. ]

West Alabama Women’s Center: https://alreprohealth.com/

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Mihika Chechi, Melissa Chiprin, and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle – Women protest in Iran, a persistent struggle – April 2, 2023

After the murder of Mahsa Amini by morality police Iran has seen protests, demonstrations, and an ongoing resistance movement against its regime. What best explains the origins and persistence of this movement? What has influenced Iran’s resistant movement? We will explore the status of women and the history of women’s rights movement in Iran. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Also, Iran has a substantial number of diaspora around the world. They help frame the issues that are occurring inside its borders. What is the interaction between Iranians abroad and Iranians in Iran and the resistance movement going on right now in the nation?

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin, Mihika Chechi, and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle – Conflict Resolution in Post Communist Eurasia and Power of ideas to shape Nation States – October 2, 2022

Regions have the resilience to manage conflicts and ensure they do not spread to other countries. Our guest Anna Ohanyan examines the factors that help build this resilience. She is the author of The Neighborhood Effect: The Imperial Roots of Regional Fracture in Post-Communist Eurasia. [ dur: 30mins. ]

Then, our panel looks at the power of ideas to shape countries, foreign policies, international power structures and the world. [ dur: 28mins. ]

From our archive, originally recorded in December 2012:

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Mihika Chechi, Melissa Chiprin, and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle – Women’s Reproductive Health post-Roe – May 15, 2022

As the US Supreme Court indicates its likelihood of overturning the landmark decision enshrining women’s reproductive control on abortion, Roe v. Wade, women throughout the country are wrestling with strategies to ensure continued abilities to terminate unwanted pregnancies. This legal development has been anticipated. The drastic shift to the right of the Court has, for years, compelled abortion advocates to develop alternative strategies for women. If Roe v. Wade is in fact overturned, what will women do to maintain sovereignty over their own bodies? What will a post-Roe world mean for women’s reproductive health?

Can reframing reproductive rights influence how people understand the issues related to abortion? Would the phrase “reproductive justice” offer a more accurate view than previous frames such as “reproductive rights” or “rights to privacy?”. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Community of Womens’ Health advocates:

  • Repro Legal Defense fund – https://reprolegaldefensefund.org
  • If/When/How – https://www.ifwhenhow.org/ ,  lawyers for reproductive justice

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle – Roe v Wade is likely to be overturned by US Supreme Court – September 19, 2021

The Supreme Court signaled with their upholding of the Texas abortion law that Roe v Wade is likely to be overturned. What does this mean for the reproductive rights of women around the country, and in particular women of color and poorer women? Is it the end of women’s rights to reproductive choice established by Roe v Wade? We look at how are many women ensuring access to abortions in light of the closure of abortion clinics. [ dur: 58mins. ]

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.

Scholars’ Circle-Children of Incarcerated Parents in US-/-Permanent National Security State-/-Polarized Politics from Sexual Counter Revolution-/-October 18th, 2015

First, what are the life chances of children of incarcerated parents? [ dur: 9 mins. ]

Then, how did the US become permanent national security state and how has that affected our democratic process? [ dur:  19 mins.  ]

  • Julian Zelizer is a Professor of History and Public Affairs, Princeton University. He is the author of “Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security From World War II to the War on Terrorism”.

Finally, did the sexual counter revolution polarize American politics? We speak with Nancy Cohen. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

  • Nancy L. Cohen is an author, historian, and leading national expert on women and American politics.  She is the author of, “Delirium: How the Sexual Counterrevolution is Polarizing America”.

Find book/publication authored by our guest scholars Book Shelf .

Scholars’ Circle -American Dream and Reality -/- Reaction-to-Terrorist Threat-/-Fundamentalism -Oct. 12th, 2014

First, we look at the gap between the American Dream and reality, with Miles Corak, professor of economics with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. [ dur: 13mins. ]

  • Miles Corak is professor of economics with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottowa. He is the author of, Generational Income Mobility in North America and Europe

Then, are the high alerts, embassy closures, and the national surveillance state reasonable reactions to the threat of terrorist acts? Our next guests suggest that the government may be overreacting. We are joined by John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart, authors of, “Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Homeland Security.” [ dur: 17mins. ]

  • John Mueller is a research scientist and professor of political science at Ohio State University and author of Retreat from Doomsday and War, Presidents and Public Opinion.
  • Mark Stewart is a professor of civil engineering and director of the Center for Infrastructure , Performance and Reliability at the University of Newcastle in Australia.

Finally, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, in many parts of the world fundamentalism is on the rise oppressing human rights, sometimes using bodily harm and even death. Simultaneously, the international community has been ineffective in helping the scholars, journalists, human rights advocates and artists who are struggling against the oppression. How bad is the situation and what can be done? [ dur: 28mins. ]

  • Karima Benoune, Professor of Law  at UC Davis, School of Law; Author of  Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism
  • Ousseina Alidou, Professor at Center African Studies, Rutgers University; Author of Engaging Modernity: Muslim Women and the Politics of Agency in Post-colonial Niger (Women in Africa and the Diaspora) and Muslim Women in Postcolonial Kenya: Leadership, Representation, and Social Change
  • Sadia Abbas; Professor of English at Rutgers University; At Freedom’s Limit: Islam and the Postcolonial Predicament

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Scholars’ Circle – Justice Scalia / violence against women – June 22nd, 2014

In this hour, the man some call the most polarizing and controversial supreme court justice in American history — The story of Antonin Scalia and why no one predicted who he would become. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

  • Bruce Allen Murphy is a judicial biographer and professor of law at Lafayette College. His latest book is Scalia: A Court of One.

Then, on the Scholar’s Circle panel, what is driving the increased violence against women around the world and how are women responding? [dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Manisha Desai is Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies & Sociology at the University of Connecticut. She is the author of Gender and the Politics of Possibilities: Rethinking Globalization, and co-editor of Women’s Activism and Globalization: Linking Local Struggle and Global Politics.
  • Jacqui True is Professor of Politics and International Relations at Monash University. She is the author of The Political Economy of Violence Against Women and Gender, Globalization and Postsocialism.
  • Amana Fontanella-Khan writes for Slate, the Daily Beast and the New York Times. Her book is called Pink Sari Revolution: A Tale of Women and Power in India.

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Visit our Store [ lists books written by each on this panel ]

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The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Mar. 17th, 2013

The United Nations has concluded its annual conference on the status of women with a focus on ending violence against women at a time when modern slavery has become a more than $35 billion industry that enslaves millions of people, mostly women and girls. The State Department estimated that in 2012, 27 million people were being held as slaves, most as sex slaves, and many held in western nations. Just last week, in fact, a UK commission found more than 1000 cases of enslavement. Most were women and girls forced into sexual exploitation. What are the realities of trafficking and slavery in 2013?We spend the hour exploring the realities of human trafficking, modern day slavery and exploitation.

First Scholars’ Circle: [ dur.  35 mins. ]

  • Kathleen Kim is a Professor of Law at Loyola Law School. She currently co-directs the Anti-Trafficking Litigation Assistance and Support Team. Her many publications include, “The Coercion of Trafficked Workers”,(link to publication ) and “Reconceptualizing Approaches to Human Trafficking: New Directions and Perspectives from the Field(s).”
  • Siddharth Kara is a Fellow with the Carr Center Program on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. He is the author of, “Bonded Labor: Tackling the System of Slavery in South Asia,” and the award-winning book, “Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery.” Kara currently advises the United Nations, the U.S. Government, and several other governments on antislavery research, policy and law.
  • Gillian Wylie is an Assistant Professor in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She is the author of many publications including, “Human Trafficking in Europe: Character, Causes, Consequences,” and “Defining Trafficking/Denying Justice: Forced Labour in Ireland and the Consequences of Trafficking Discourse.”

Finally with Scholars’ : [ dur. 18mins. ]

  • Kathleen Berry, Prof. Emiritus Penn State University –  Authour of  Female Sexual Slavery;
  • Kathryn McKeenan, Prof. of Law, Univ. of Michigan Law School – Author of Sex equality only word.
  • Melissa Farley, Clinical Physcologists with Center for World Indigenous Studies. – Author of Men who buy Sex.

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