Epicenter is produced by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.
Wrapping our minds around profound global issues can be daunting. Where does one begin to unpack responsibility for climate change or human rights? How does one account for social inequalities or the endurance of repressive regimes?
In our Epicenter podcast, we bring together scholars and experienced practitioners from different disciplines to guide us through pressing global topics, to boil down the issues, to explain the research and give valuable context. The goal is to give listeners a deeper understanding of a topic to expand their everyday thinking about the world inside and outside their own borders.
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Migrants Bring Opportunity to Boston and Beyond (with Jacqueline Bhabha, Monique Nguyen, and Maggie Sullivan)
Épisode 15
mercredi 29 mai 2024 • Durée 52:24
Massachusetts has long been a welcoming state to immigrants and migrant families. In the summer of 2023, its one-of-a-kind “right to shelter” law was put to the test when emergency shelters reached capacity. It was called a humanitarian crisis, and images of families sleeping on the floor of Logan Airport flooded the media. Although it is most noticed on a local level, migration is an ongoing global process that requires a structural response at all levels. In this episode, we speak to a lawyer/scholar, a nurse practitioner, and a city government official deeply involved with immigrant services and policies to better understand the scope of migration, the needs of newly arrived families, and also the varied responses of host communities.
Monique Nguyen directs the Boston mayor’s office for immigrant advancement and explains why the word “crisis” mischaracterizes the realities of global migration. Massachusetts has made a moral and ethical commitment to helping people in need, and her office works to give migrants a pathway to stability and a foothold in their communities.
Nurse practitioner and fellow with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Maggie Sullivan delivers primary care to families in shelters. She offers a vivid picture of a migrant family’s experience in temporary shelters, and also describes the fortitude and skills individuals bring to Boston.
Attorney and human rights scholar Jackie Bhabha directs the Weatherhead Center’s Research Cluster on Migration, where Sullivan is an affiliate. Bhabha eloquently describes both the theory and practice of helping migrants and immigrants within the framework of human rights. She also provides insights on other countries’ experiences hosting influxes of migrants and the need for preparation and coordination involving the highest levels of government.
Guests:
Jacqueline Bhabha, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Migration. Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights, Department of Global Health and Population; Director of Research, François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Jeremiah Smith Jr. Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School.
Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director, Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement, City of Boston.
Margaret (Maggie) Sullivan, Instructor and Health and Human Rights Fellow, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University; Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Boston Health Care for the Homeless.
Host:
Jessica Barnard, Program Manager for the Weatherhead Research Clusters on Migration and Global History.
Social Technology for Aging Societies (with Arthur Kleinman, Hong-Tu Chen, Ann Forsyth, and Fawwaz Habbal)
Épisode 14
jeudi 14 décembre 2023 • Durée 44:28
People aged sixty-five and older make up the fastest growing population around the world, posing unique challenges to societies. A Harvard initiative called Social Technology for Global Aging Research is founded on the belief that there’s a great potential for technologies and interventions to benefit the elderly, but only if they are developed with a deep understanding of day-to-day life. In the scope of this collaboration, technology for the elderly covers a wide range of needs—from engineering hardware for mobility to designing living environments and even tackling the logistics of meeting friends for tea. It’s an expansive collaboration between Harvard scholars and their Chinese counterparts. We speak with four collaborators who share fascinating examples of their work.
The founder of the initiative, Arthur Kleinman, believes that aging societies represent an unprecedented transformation of the global population that introduces a range of challenges. He emphasizes the need to bring together various disciplines—such as medical practitioners, engineers, and anthropologists, to name a few—to collaboratively solve problems the elderly face in their day to day lives. Much of the team’s research is conducted on the ground in China, where about 30 percent of the population of China will be sixty-five or older by 2050.
Fawwaz Habbal points out the particular challenges of engineering products and services for this constituency, but also highlights the great insights that emerge from using a multidisciplinary approach.
Ann Forsyth discusses the desire of the elderly to “age in place,” and what that means from an urban planning and housing perspective. The locations that may be desirable at one stage in life often change in older age. In China, for example, many older people have moved from the rural areas to the cities, and culturally it’s frowned upon to relocate parents to assisted living facilities.
Designing social interventions can be just as powerful as designing an effective piece of hardware. Drawing on his vast experience with older patients and elder resources, Hong-Tu Chen describes a simple method for fostering connections between children and their elderly parents.
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COVID-19 and Climate Change Part 2 (with Alicia Harley, Rob Paarlberg, and Troy Vettese)
Épisode 5
mardi 26 janvier 2021 • Durée 29:21
COVID-19 radically reduced global productivity, but isn’t that just what we need to combat climate change? Is there such a thing as a silver lining in this pandemic? In Episode 5, we continue the conversation about the relationship between COVID-19 and climate change. Three Weatherhead Center scholars guide us through the complex environmental and political systems that constrain efforts for systemic change, and discuss what needs to be done today.
The second episode of this two-part podcast series looks more closely at the politics of COVID-19 and climate change and other countries’ efforts to reduce fossil fuel use.
As mentioned in part 1, the lynchpin of these two crises is land—how much of our planet’s surface area is dedicated to raising and growing food for animals. Troy Vettese stresses that scientists have known about the dangers of close human contact with animals since the1800s and many organizations have urged the reduction of meat consumption for public health reasons.
Robert Paarlberg elaborates on the origin of the virus, and describes the pandemic’s impact on the African continent. Alicia Harley sees the pandemic as a wake up to advance grassroots momentum generated by the Green New Deal.
Finally, our scholars debate the practicality and caveats of the Green New Deal, and what steps a new Biden Administration can take to address environmental needs from day one.
Alicia Harley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School. PhD, Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.
Robert L. Paarlberg, Weatherhead Center Associate. Associate, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Betty F. Johnson ‘44 Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Wellesley College.
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COVID-19 and Climate Change Part 1 (with Alicia Harley, Rob Paarlberg, and Troy Vettese)
Épisode 4
mercredi 9 décembre 2020 • Durée 27:02
COVID-19 forced radical change on the world, but isn’t that just what we need to combat climate change? The simple concepts of how we use land and how we eat may very well determine the future of our species—and our planet. Three Weatherhead Center scholars guide us through the complex environmental and political systems that constrain efforts for systemic change, and discuss what needs to be done today.
The first episode of this two-part podcast series looks at how COVID-19 and climate change are part of the same human-made crisis.
The lynchpin of these two crises is land—how much of our planet’s surface area is dedicated to raising and growing food for animals. Troy Vettese believes we will not be able to slow down the effects of climate change without giving up meat production, which is something human beings do not need to survive. But how can people be convinced to stop eating meat?
Robert Paarlberg describes the vast improvements in agricultural output in recent decades and the known methods for protecting humans from animal viruses in the factory farm setting, as witnessed in Europe. Alicia Harley emphasizes the new momentum around climate change politics and demand for plant-based meats, both of which have increased during the pandemic.
What a sustainable society would really look like and whether or not we can get to that goal without drastically changing our economy or our governance is a question of utmost urgency, and our scholars agree major steps must be taken in the next ten years.
Alicia Harley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Lecturer in Environmental Science and Public Policy, Harvard College. PhD, Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.
Robert L. Paarlberg, Weatherhead Center Associate. Associate, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Betty F. Johnson ‘44 Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Wellesley College.
Producer/Director:Related Links:Follow the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs:
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Pandemic Stress (with Vikram Patel, Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, and Giuseppe Raviola)
Épisode 3
jeudi 9 juillet 2020 • Durée 35:35
Whether or not you’ve been exposed to the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic impacts everyone’s sense of well-being. Three scholars in the field of global mental health look at the various ways loss, fear, anxiety—and on top of it, a massive global recession—weigh on the mental well-being of different groups. And they anticipate a surge in demand for mental health services as a result of the pandemic.
Although the contemporary world has never seen the likes of such economic contraction as we have now, the recession of 2008 might be an instructive case. Vikram Patel, professor of global health and population, explains what is known about the mental health impacts stemming from that recent recession. Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, a sociologist and medical anthropologist, gets inside the mind and experiences of the doctors and healthcare workers who are taking care of us (and it’s not necessarily what you would expect). And psychiatrist Dr. Giuseppe Raviola gives an unflinching look at what American families and kids are struggling with during lockdown.
The scholars also discuss the fraught state of mental health service delivery in the US, and advocate for adopting an approach to mental health services very different from the US’s hierarchical system of licensed specialists.
Finally, our guests confront the great disparities in the hardships this pandemic creates: in short, wealthy people are doing just fine and have all the advantages, while for others, the pandemic has taken away so many of the resources they once had, causing enduring stress.
Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on May 22, 2020 when the US had approximately 1.5 million positive COVID-19 cases.
Vikram Patel, Faculty Associate. The Pershing Square Professor of Global Health and Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Professor, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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Brexited! (with Jeffry Frieden and Christina Davis)
Épisode 2
mardi 14 avril 2020 • Durée 42:40
It was a momentous day for the UK. The United Kingdom finally exited the European Union on January 31, 2020. So what happens next, and should we care? Our guests both demystify Brexit and explain the purpose of the European Union in ways you have never understood before.
We know that British passports are turning from burgundy back to traditional blue, and the Union Jack was taken down from the European Council building in Brussels. But what of the trade tensions around curvy bananas and chickens rinsed in chlorine? Will trade agreements become more or less complicated as the UK goes it alone in a globalized world?
Christina Davis and Jeff Frieden, professors of government and Weatherhead Center Faculty Associates from Harvard University, dive into a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion about the many ripple effects of Brexit.
Somewhat philosophical and deeply intriguing is the premise around the European Union itself, which requires giving up certain aspects of sovereignty for a stake in a powerful economic bloc. But isn’t this something like the relationship between the United States and its federal government? Davis and Frieden also take on immigration in Europe, Scotland’s threats of secession, Northern Ireland’s attitude toward the Republic, and the bargaining chips in play when the UK tries to strike new trade deals with the EU and the US. Not to mention all the basics of Brexit packed up in one very engaging discussion.
Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on March 7, 2020, before the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak was a pandemic.
Jeffry A. Frieden, Faculty Associate. Chair; Stanfield Professor of International Peace, Department of Government, Harvard University.
Christina L. Davis, Director, Program on U.S.-Japan Relations; Faculty Associate. Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study; Professor of Government, Department of Government, Harvard University.
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Inequality in the US and Europe (with Michèle Lamont, Peter A. Hall, and Paul Pierson)
Épisode 1
jeudi 30 janvier 2020 • Durée 49:19
Despite the decline in global poverty rates over the past five or six decades, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow ever wider, especially in the industrialized West. Three scholars—Michèle Lamont, Peter A. Hall, and Paul Pierson—discuss how housing and education can actually reinforce inequality, and who in our society is seen as “deserving” of getting help, or not, and how that has changed over time.
Paul Pierson has studied “superstar cities,” such as San Francisco and New York, that have become places that concentrate wealth and opportunities for advancement but have exorbitant housing costs. He compares those cities to Paris or London, which have a different policy landscape for affordable housing. Peter Hall describes how middle and upper income families in the US hoard opportunities for their children, a process that actually begins in preschool. And he offers a method for making university admissions more equitable. Michèle Lamont describes the power of institutional or state narratives in shaping the collective understanding of who’s welcome and deserving of support.
Our guests represent three different disciplines—sociology, government, and political science—and they collaborated with other contributors for a special edition of the journal Dædalus, published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This special issue focuses on various systems of inequality in the US and Europe with insightful historical and comparative context.
Lamont, Hall, and Pierson are all former directors of the Successful Societies Program at CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, which studies the ways in which healthy societies work. Each is a current or former affiliate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, where this podcast was produced.
Michèle Lamont, Weatherhead Center Director and Faculty Associate (on leave 2019–2020). Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies; Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies, Departments of Sociology and African and African American Studies, Harvard University.
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Who Can Stop a Dictator? Resistance to the War in Ukraine (with Sasha de Vogel, Serhii Plokhy, and Alexandra Vacroux)
Épisode 13
vendredi 25 août 2023 • Durée 53:04
When the Wagner mercenary group staged a near coup in Moscow in June, it was seen as the greatest challenge to Vladimir Putin’s regime in decades. Though it didn’t come to fruition, it nevertheless exposed some of the fissures in Putin’s ironclad control over the military and the course of the war on Ukraine. Could it be a harbinger of future revolts? How do Russian citizens feel about the continuation of the war? We speak with three scholars of history and political science to find out what this event might mean for Russia’s war machine and for Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
The Wagner rebellion may open the possibility of future revolts, but only if Ukraine’s counteroffensive makes more progress, says Serhii Plokhy. He reminds us of Russia’s past defeats and its pattern of regime change linked to failures on the battlefield.
In spite of its grave losses, Ukrainian morale remains high, says Alexadra Vacroux. But the war is forcing the population to undergo a major demographic shift, which will have a profound impact on the country’s recovery.
Sasha de Vogel gives insight into public opinion in Russia, the consequences for speaking out against the war, and why there is so little civil resistance. She dispels Western myths about the suppression and repression of Russian citizens and believes Putin will keep fighting this war until death.
Finally, the scholars share their opinions on what is needed to end this devastating war.
Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
Guests:
Sasha de Vogel, Postdoctoral Researcher, Authoritarian Politics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Former Raphael Morrison Dorman Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Scholars Program.
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Can Erdogan be Unseated? (with Ahmet Akbiyik, Andrew O’Donohue, and SZ)
Épisode 12
mercredi 10 mai 2023 • Durée 31:15
The presidential election in Turkey this spring is shaping up to be the most consequential in decades. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has led the country for twenty years, is facing the staunchest opposition in his career in the form of an unprecedented coalition of six parties, called the “Table of Six.” Their presidential candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has been widely described as low-key, bland, and uncharismatic. But could he be the perfect person to unseat Erdogan? To get us up to speed on this exciting election, we speak with three Graduate Student Associates whose research takes us into the governance, politics, and culture of Turkey—past and present.
SZ sets the stage by invoking the typical raucous mood of Turkish elections through political songs that celebrate various social identities. Although Erdogan silenced the usual soundscape of elections this year by banning public music out of respect for earthquake victims, music nonetheless has emerged.
How does a leader go from being called a “democratizer” to a “strongman”? Andrew O’Donohue explains how Erdogan consolidated the power of the presidency and weakened government institutions during his twenty-year leadership. He notes there are some signs of weakening support for Erdogan, including recent defections from his party and public protests last year against the conviction of the mayor of Istanbul—and would-be presidential contender— for insulting public officials.
Voter polarization makes it difficult to predict the outcome of the elections, explains Ahmet Akbiyik, and his own research has shown the media landscape is equally polarized. He points out the pitfalls of government-friendly businesses owning powerful entities like television stations, newspapers, and even weapons manufacturing.
The scholars emphasize that Turkey holds a unique geopolitical position in central Asia, as it remains a top trading partner with Russia, but also supplies weapons to Ukraine. It’s also a member of NATO and has been seeking membership in the European Union, so any change of government will have an impact on all these factors.
If Erdogan loses, will he accept the outcome of the elections and let go of power? If he wins, will the elections be seen as fair? Will the one million citizens displaced by the earthquake be able to vote? The scholars debate how the public may respond to the election outcome, and whether or not a new regime can strengthen Turkey’s democracy.
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What Is Holding Up the Transition to Green Energy? (with Dustin Tingley, Jeff Colgan, and Aleksandra Conevska)
Épisode 11
lundi 6 février 2023 • Durée 52:08
Green technology has come a long way, to the extent that it can, in theory, be scaled up to solve the world’s energy problems. If this is true, then why does the US lag so far behind in transitioning away from fossil fuels? This episode addresses the politics of climate change by looking at the sources of public distrust. To frame the discussion, three scholars investigate the nature of major economic transformations, the youth movement, and what we can learn from other countries.
Traveling into the heart of US fossil fuel communities, Dustin Tingley reports on the work of his team to uncover the sentiments of the citizens who will be most affected when fossil fuel plants are closed. The common theme is a lack of belief that the government will offer a social safety net when workers lose their jobs and when towns lose their revenue.
Jeff Colgan takes us through some major energy transitions of the past and explains why green energy is different. He also points to strategies citizens in other countries have leveraged to move their governments forward.
Drawing on original research, Aleksandra Conevska explores differences between youth and adult political behavior regarding climate action, and separately on the unintended consequences of green party politics. Ending on a hopeful note, the group explains there are definitely new green jobs on the horizon, especially in the trades, and it’s time to give vocational education more attention.
Dustin Tingley, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. Professor of Government, Department of Government, Harvard University.
Jeff Colgan, Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Watson Institute for Public and International Affairs, Brown University.
Aleksandra Conevska, Graduate Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. PhD Candidate, Department of Government, Harvard University.
Producer/Director:Related Links:Follow the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs:
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All four scholars share fascinating stories about unintended consequences of new technologies, and surprisingly simple interventions that can have a powerful impact on quality of life.
Arthur Kleinman, Faculty Associate. Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University; Professor of Medical Anthropology in Global Health and Social Medicine; Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Hong-Tu Chen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Ann Forsyth, Faculty Associate. Ruth and Frank Stanton Professor of Urban Planning; Interim Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Fawwaz Habbal, senior lecturer in applied physics, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Giuseppe (“Bepi”) Raviola, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, and the Director of Mental Health for Partners in Health, a Boston-based humanitarian healthcare organization that serves ten countries. Bepi is actively involved in training contact tracers in Massachusetts through Partners in Health.
Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
Serhii Plokhy, Faculty Associate. Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History, Department of History; Director, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University.
Alexandra Vacroux, Executive Director, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.
Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
