338: Asking Essential Questions to Uncover and Preserve Family History

Guest Elizabeth Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas, Austin. A linguistic anthropologist who studies culture and communication, she has been a Fulbright Scholar in Ireland and a visiting scholar at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies in Germany and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands. Summary

In this episode, I chat with Elizabeth Keating, Ph.D., author of The Essential Questions, about the power of curiosity in preserving family history and understanding generational perspectives. Dr. Keating discusses how asking meaningful, anthropologically inspired questions can help uncover the rich stories and cultural insights of parents and grandparents, transforming familial relationships. She emphasizes the importance of capturing these stories before they are lost, as time and cognitive ability are fleeting. The discussion also highlights how cultural transmission occurs in everyday interactions and the impact of generational conflict on how values and beliefs are passed down. Dr. Keating shares her experiences as an anthropologist and teacher, using her framework to encourage deeper connections and a greater appreciation for the complexities of family history.

Three Takeaways

1. The Urgency of Storytelling: Capturing family stories is vital before they are lost, as time and cognitive ability are finite.

2. Cultural Transmission Through Everyday Life: Understanding how values and beliefs are passed down helps bridge generational differences.

3. Anthropology-Inspired Questions: Using open-ended, meaningful questions fosters deeper connections and unearths untold family histories.

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Referenced

The Atlantic article: The Questions We Don't Ask Our Families but Should