Tag Archives: Social Sciences

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- July 14th, 2013

First, how much does biology effect the propensity for violence? We are joined by Adrian Raine, author of, Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime. [ dur: 28 mins. ] [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Adrian Raine is Professor of Criminology and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of, Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime;

Then, as the California prisoners are on hunger strike, we explore the effects of solitary confinement and the impact of harsh prison conditions on guards and prisoners. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Hope Metcalf is Associate Research Scholar in Law, and Director of the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program. She teaches a clinic on prisoners’ rights in the United States. She is the co-author of Administrative Segregation, Degrees of Isolation, and Incarceration: A National Overview of State and Federal Correctional Policie, and Gideon at Guantanamo: Democratic and Despotic Detention
  • Philip Zimbardo is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Stanford University and current *core faculty at Palo Alto University. He is the creator of the The Stanford Prison Experiment. He is the author of numerous publications including The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, Psychology and Life, and The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence.
  • Dr. Stuart Glassian is a psychiatrist who has formerly taught at Harvard Medical School. His is the author of, Psychiatric Effects of Solitary Confinement, and Effects of Sensory Deprivation in Psychiatric Seclusion and Solitary Confinement.
    He has served as an expert on class-actions lawsuits regrading solitary confinement.

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

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- June 16th, 2013

In this hour, we continue exploring the bank of the banks and the role it plays in international economies. [ dur: 10 mins. ]

  • Adam LeBor, Author: Tower of Basel: The Shadowy History of the Secret Bank that Runs the World

Then, is the national surveillance state a permanent feature of the US? [ dur: 20 mins. ]

  • Prof. Sanford Levinson. Prof. of Government and Law, University of Texas. Author: Constitutional Stupidities, Constitutional Tragedies

Finally, what do the uprisings in Turkey mean for the country itself, Middle East and the West? [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Dr. Marcie J. Patton is a Professor of Politics at Fairfield University. Her publications include, “Turkey,” “AKP Reform Fatigue in Turkey: What’s happened to the EU process?” and “The Economic Policies of the AKP Government: Rabbits from a Hat?”
  • Mark LeVine is a Professor of History at the University of California,Irvine. His books include, “Why They Don’t Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil,” “Heavy Metal Islam: Religion, Popular Culture and Resistance in the Middle East,” and co-authored “Religion, Social Practice, and Contested Hegemonies: Reconstructing the Public Sphere in Muslim Majority Societies”
  • Asli Ü. Bâli is Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. She is the author of numerous publications including, “The Perils of Judicial Independence: Constitutional Transition and the Turkish Example” “From Subjects to Citizens? The Shifting Paradigm of Electoral Authoritarianism in the Middle East” and co-authored, “American Overreach: Strategic Interests and Millennial Ambitions in the Middle East.”

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

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- May 19th, 2013

What can nature teach us about how to organize our societies, governments and businesses? [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Rafe Sagrin, marine ecologist, Univ. of AZ.; Author of ” Learning from the Octopus: How Secrets From Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorism Attacks, Natural Disasters and Disease. “

Then on the Scholars’ Circle we discuss at how music effects political change, and how politics effects music. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Prof. Mark LeVine, Prof. of Middle Eastern History, UCI; Author of ” Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam “
  • Prof. Josh Kun, Prof. of  Communication and Journalism, USC; Author of  ” Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements “
  • Prof. Richard Flacks, Prof. of Sociolology, UC Santa Barbara; Author of ” Audiotopia: Music, Race, and America “

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

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Mar. 3rd, 2013

First, can new media change power relations? We speak with Rory O’Connor author of, “Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media.” [ dur. 27mins. ]

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, in the face of looming public health and sustainability, we look at the intersection of science and politics. [dur. 28 min. ]

  • Naomi Oreskes, Prof. History & Science, UC San Diego; Author of  “Merchants of Doubt”.
  • Prof. David Guston, Political Science, Co-director Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes, AZ State Univ.  Author of  “Between Politics and Science: Assuring the Integrity and Productivity of Research” .
  • Prof. Mark Brown, Gov’t & Political Science, CSU Sacrament; Author of “Science in Democracy”.

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

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Feb. 24th, 2013

First, how did society develop from bands of hunter and gatherers to our current political system? Where did the concepts of accountability come from? And why was a swell of democracy followed by a decline in democratic gain? What is behind political decay? Francis Fukuyama poses these questions in his latest book, The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Francis Fukuyama, author, senior fellow at Stanford Univ.;

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, what are the trends and consequences of increasingly unequal society? We look at inequality, its causes and consequences. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

  • Prof. Lane Kenworthy, Sociology and Political science Univ. of AZ.; Author: Progress for the Poor
  • Prof. Miles Corak,  Prof. of Economics, Univ. of Ottawa, Canada; Author: Generational Income Mobility in North America and Europe
  • Prof. Sylvia Allegretto, Center on Wage & Employment Dynamics, Labor Economist , UC Berkeley. Author : The State of Working America:

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

The Scholars’ circle & Insighters Radio- Jan. 6th, 2013

Last year brought many vital issues out into the open. Storms such as Hurricane Sandy for example heightened awareness of climate change. What might we see develop in 2013?

  • Sarah Von Gelder, Yes Magazine;

Then we spend the rest of the hour discussing a disturbing trend of increasing numbers of school children being conditioned for the criminal justice system, often referred to, as the school to prison-pipeline. What might it mean for society? And how should this situation be addressed?

  • Dr. Kim Socha, Regional Dir., Save the Kids;
  • Jon Vang ,  mentor , community activist.
  • Prof. Anthony Nocella, Dispute resolution, Hamline Univ;
  • Daniel Losen, Dir., of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies, UCLA;
  • Prof. Damien Schnyder, African studies, Scripps College

Insighters & Scholars Circle- Nov. 11th, 2012

First, Has democracy become like fast food? Our first guest says that democracy needs to slow down. Susan Clark, co-author of Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decisionmaking Back Home; [ Dur. 18:30 mins ]

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, on Friday, President Obama made his first move to address the so-called Fiscal Cliff, one of many critical issues facing the country. But given that the election kept the power structure as is and that polarization remains at a decades-long high, what can we expect in the coming years? [ Dur: 35 mins. ]

  • Sean Theriault is Professor of Government at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the author of, “The Power of the People: Congressional Competition, Public Attention, and Voter Retribution,” and “Party Polarization in Congress.”
  • Mark Peterson is Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and Law at UCLA. He is the author of “Legislating Together: The White House and Capital Hill from Eisenhower to Reagan,” co-editor of “Institutions of American Democracy: The Executive Branch.” and contributed to “Institutions of American Democracy: A Republic Divided.”
  • Matthew Dickinson is Professor of Political Science and Department Chair at Middlebury College. He is the author of, “Bitter Harvest: FDR, Presidential Power, and the Growth of the Presidential Branch,” co-editor of “Guardian of the Presidency: The Legacy of Richard E. Neustadt,” and editor of the blog “Presidential Power A NonPartisan Analysis of Presidential Politics.”

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

Insighters & Scholars Circle- Oct. 28th, 2012

First, we speak with Michael Grunwald author of, The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era. Michael Grunwald says both the left and the right missed the real change that President Obama brought about with his stimulus. He says it has so much transformative potential that it’s really a new New Deal. Part 1 of 2 parts. [ dur: 17 mins ]

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, we look at why so many transgressions go unnoticed while others become nationals scandals. Scandal and Silence — why do so many scandals go unnoticed? Why do some become national stories and others fade out? What about “nonscandals” becoming scandalized? AND how does this phenomenon affect our democracy and society?  We are joined by three experts:

  • Robert Entman, Professor of Media and Public Affairs and Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University. His newest book is, “Scandal and Silence: Media Responses to Presidential Misconduct.” He is also the author of, “Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion and US Foreign Policy,” and “Mediated Politics: Communication in the Future of Democracy.”
  • Brendan Nyhan, Professor of Government at Dartmouth College. He is the author of, “All the President’s Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth,” and is the New Hampshire campaign correspondent for Columbia Journalism Review.
  • Sigurd Allern, Professor of Journalism Studies in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is the author of, “Scandalous!: The Mediated Construction of Political Scandals in Four Nordic Countries.”

Visit our store [ lists books written by each on the panel ]

Insighters & Scholars Circle- Oct. 21st, 2012

First, a look at how the unconscious mind and biological predispositions’ effect; political outcomes, waging war and prejudice biases. We are joined by Prof. Guillermo Jimenez, State Univ. of NY and author of, “Red Genes, Blue Genes,” and Prof. Shankar Vedantam, Harvard Univ. and author of, “The Hidden Brain.” [ dur. 26 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Later we have a conversation with psychologist Prof. Drew Westin, Emory Univ. and author of, “The Political Brain: The Role of Emotions in deciding the Fate of the Nation.” [ dur. 15 mins. ]

Finally, we examine our national psychology with R. Slosar, psychologist & author of, “Culture of Excess: How America Lost Self Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success.” [ dur. 18 mins. ]

Visit our store [ lists books written by each on the panel ]

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Nature of organizing societies and hate speech politics – July 15th, 2012

What does nature teach us about organizing societies, governments and businesses? [dur: 28mins. ]

  • Rafe Sagarin (1971-2015) was a research scientist with the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ and the Program Manager for Oceans at Biosphere 2, where he was working to transform Biosphere 2’s ocean biome into a living model of the Gulf of California. He is the author of, Learning from the Octopus: How Secrets From Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorism Attacks, Natural Disasters and Disease.

What are the effects of incivility, vilification and hate speech? What are the effects of political incivility and vilification on pubic policy and political participation? On democracy? How do they compare to hate speech? Where are the legal lines drawn? [ dur: 29mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ