Our Dream Deferred – Détails, épisodes et analyse

For our season finale, we’re joined by Layla Zaidane, President and CEO of the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the US, the Millennial Action Project (MAP). As we bring season 2 to a close, Zaidane brings an abundance mindset to help us all see a pathway to a more equitable future.

As a millennial and a “third culture” American with ties to American culture and her parents; home country of Morocco, Zaidane emphasizes the need to work toward solutions to social challenges from a perspective that values and finds ways to connect across differences.

Her approach, and that of MAP, centers on leveraging creativity and innovation to bring people to the table, build bridges, and provide
spaces and platforms for Millennial and Gen Z leaders to lend their perspectives and co-create legislative solutions, strengthening our democratic institutions while modeling and inviting fuller engagement from all Americans. You can learn more about her work at www.millennialaction.org. 

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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at jgaron@aphsa.org.
Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change. Be sure to listen to part 1 if you haven’t already done so!
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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at jgaron@aphsa.org.  Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

Today we hear from Phil Howard, who is a professor of sociology, information and international affairs, and the author of Lie Machines: How to Save Democracy from Troll Armies, Deceitful Robots, Junk News Operations, and Political Operatives. Studying information infrastructure and social systems at the same time, he provides a unique and integrated perspective on the impacts of social media on modern life, and why it matters. By illustrating how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media have been used to bring out the worst in us, Professor Howard helps us see a better path forward. His ideas for public agencies include mapping out how to better meet constituents on social media,. Tune in for a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation.  

Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at jgaron@aphsa.org.   

Links: 

Phil Howard’s commentary and articles: https://philhoward.org/ 

The Navigator tool: https://navigator.oii.ox.ac.uk/ 

Oxford Internet Institute: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ 

This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell. 

In this week’s episode of Our Dream Deferred: Fulfilling the Nation’s Promise, we’re in conversation with Derrik Anderson, Executive Director at Race Matters for Juvenile Justice. Derrik helps us reflect on the American Dream in the context of taking a frank look at the lived experiences of people of color in the United States. Derrik uses a historical lens to explore policies, their impacts on systems and institutions, and the biases they can lead to, and encourages us to continually do the work to counter racism, white supremacy culture, and other injustices. Key will be to create a shared language across institutions and groups to address these problems – an activity you’re participating in just listening to this podcast! 

Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at cbecker@aphsa.org. 

This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

Link:

https://rmjj.org/

These past few years, as our country has become more fragmented, and longstanding biases have come into plain sight, we’ve searched for ways to understand what we’re experiencing more deeply and to benefit from perspectives that can help us envision a path forward. This week’s episode of Our Dream Deferred: Fulfilling the Nation’s Promise, we’ll cover the importance of narrative change and how to do it in a positive way, what we can do as leaders and organizations to contribute to meaningful change, and what behavioral science can teach us about how to reach the people and communities we serve.

This episode’s guest is Anthony Barrows, a Managing Director at idas42.

Be part of Our Dream Deferred. Use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at cbecker@aphsa.org. 

This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

Links:

http://ideas42.org/learn 

https://anthonybarrows.com/home.html 

https://www.mobilitypartnership.org/paper-categories/narrative 

Book Recommendations:

The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel

The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations by Robert Livingston

Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir 

An overview & welcome to Our Dream Deferred. Find out how we will explore the American story, as inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem, Dream Deferred: “What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?”

In this episode, part one in a two-part episode, we welcome Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change.

Nat is an expert in psychological anthropology and communication science and describes for us what framing is, the science behind it, and how integral cultural mindsets are to understanding how we—as a society and as individuals—view the central issues that confront us today. Nat helps us understand how three prevailing mindsets in the United States too often trigger unproductive ways of thinking, hampering discussion and solutions.

This conversation points to ways that learning how to frame an issue that evokes more productive cultural mindsets can enable all of us to better advocate for changes that help people reach their full potential.

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Resources:

https://beyondconflictint.org

Renewing American Democracy: Navigating a Changing Nation - https://bit.ly/44C8BNL 

“Are we really as divided as we think? How dark forces are attempting to alienate us from our neighbours” - https://bit.ly/3sEQ1Y5 

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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at jgaron@aphsa.org.

Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

We’re joined by Dr. Crystal Hoyt, Professor of Leadership Studies and Psychology at the Jepson School of Leadership at the University of Richmond. Her scholarship looks at the intersection of human belief systems and social justice, and in this episode, she offers us a look into research she and colleagues have conducted that uncovers unseen influences on both individual thinking and on shared societal perspectives that in turn affect wealth inequality and poverty.
Dr. Hoyt shares insights on how mindsets shape our understanding of social issues, offering a fresh perspective on the state of American economic inequality and poverty. During our time together, she also explains how mindsets impact what we believe is possible, including whether eliminating poverty is achievable. By helping us understand the different kinds of mindsets, and why understanding their distinctions matters, we can better advance anti-poverty policy solutions.
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Resources discussed:
Mindsets of Addiction: Implications for Treatment Intentions - https://bit.ly/3OCYUsd 
Believing in the American Dream Sustains Negative Attitudes toward Those in Poverty –
https://bit.ly/3sa3bfs 
Growth Mindset Messaging in Stigma-Relevant Contexts: Harnessing Benefits Without Costs -
https://bit.ly/3QFhQcL 
The Implications of Mindsets of Poverty for Stigma Against Those in Poverty - https://bit.ly/44aFPn1 
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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at jgaron@aphsa.org.
Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, we’re joined by Lilliana Mason, Professor of Political Science at Johns
Hopkins University's SNF Agora Institute, and author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Bringing together her unique blended expertise in political science and social psychology, Lilliana (Lily) digs into the details behind partisan animosity and the disturbing increase in extreme partisanship, especially changing attitudes toward the use of violence in politics.

Importantly, Lily’s work is helping us understand how the study of intergroup conflict applies in politics. Her work shows that Americans have becoming increasingly "socially sorted," resulting in lives where we live, work, and engage almost exclusively with people who share our identities—and the ways this sorting leads to distrust and otherizing, dramatically shifting attitudes and beliefs about others outside of one’s own political identity. Sorting—and what it does to us—limits our ability to compromise and build common ground. Through her research, she is equipping all of us with the knowledge imperative to ensuring our political parties can continue to be collaborators in our democracy.
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Resources:
Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity by Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/3KpG9Ya 
Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for
Democracy by Nathan P. Kalmoe and Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/456IIpW 
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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at
jgaron@aphsa.org.
Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, we explore the importance of human-to-human contact and
the impact it can have on our lives. Our guest, professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University and a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Levy Paluck, emphasizes the value of engaging with people around us in order to have a positive impact on the issues that affect us all.

We also discuss the need to examine norms, how norms subconsciously filter how we interact with one another, as well as benefits of real-life conversations in shifting those norms.
Join us as we delve into the power of human connection and the unwritten rules that shape us.
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Links:
“The effect of a supreme court decision regarding gay marriage on social norms and personal attitudes” - https://spia.princeton.edu/system/files/research/documents/Paluck.pdf 
“Engineering social change using social norms: Lessons from the study of collective action” -
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X20301081 
“The Supreme Court Overturned Roe. Will Americans’ Views Toward Abortion Change” -
https://behavioralscientist.org/the-supreme-court-overturned-roe-will-americans-opinions-toward-abortion-change/ 
A report on a field experiment with London-area train commuters on the avoidance of pleasant
conversations with strangers - https://julianaschroeder.com/s/Hello-Stranger-June-2021.pdf 
“Type Less, Talk More” - https://hbr.org/2020/10/research-type-less-talk-more 
“Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge” -
https://academic.oup.com/princeton-scholarship-online/book/13454 
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Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at
jgaron@aphsa.org.

Our Dream Deferred is produced by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). 

Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.