Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Carole Hooven about the hormone Testosterone and its impact on men and within society. They discuss her new book and reasons for writing the book. They talk about sex hormones and the sexual reproductive system as well as the impact of sexual selection on both. They provide definitions of male and female within a biological framework including discussions on the genetics, hormones, and gametes. They talk about the impact of culture and environment on gender expression and biological sex. The talk about how hormones are distributed throughout the body and the importance of secondary sex characteristics. They talk about the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts and also give different examples of how hormones interact with the environment. They discuss the complexities of discussing biology and environment in current society and many other topics. Carole Hooven is a Lecturer and Co-Director of the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She has a Bachelors in Psychology from Antioch College and a PhD from Harvard University. Her main research areas are sex differences, testosterone, and hormones interaction with behaviors. She is the author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us which you can purchase here. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @hoovlet Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Charles Love about education, Black history, and current political challenges. The talk about his background and work in education. They talk about the challenges with the current Critical Race Theory (CRT) rhetoric that dominates conversation in education. They discuss how to have a balanced approach in teaching and learning Black history in education. They explain how learning about all aspects of Black history is very important. They review the 1619 project and some of its challenges. They also talk about heterodox thinkers and politics of today and many other topics.Charles Love is the Executive Director of Seeking Educational Excellence, a non-profit organization aimed to empower disadvantage students to excel in many domains. He is the host of The Charles Love Show on AM560 and is the co-host of the Cut the Bull podcast. He is a scholar at 1776Unites and is a contributing writer at City Journal. His new book, Race Crazy is available here. Find his website here. Twitter: @cdouglaslove3 Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Yasmine Mohammed about the complexities of Islam around the world. They begin with a synopsis of Yasmine’s story with Islam and how she responds to her story not being representative of Islam. They discuss the cultural vs. religious claims for some practices. They talk about the various interpretations of Islam and how it is best perceived as a continuum. They discuss the convergent and divergent ways that Muslims in Muslim majority countries compare with Muslims in non-Muslim majority countries. They talk about how women are treated in Muslim-majority countries along with some of the problems with head coverings and many other topics.Yasmine Mohammed is a Human Rights activist who advocates for women’s rights around the world, specifically in Muslim majority countries. She is the founder of Free Hearts Free Minds which is an organization that provides mental health services for LGBTQ+ individuals along with freethinkers in Muslim majority countries. She is the author of her memoir, Unveiled. She also serves on the board of Humanist Global Charity and Atheists for Liberty. She works with the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation and is a member of Center for Inquiry Speaker’s Bureau. Visit her website. Twitter: @yasmohammedxx Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simon Critchley on continental and analytic philosophy, the philosophy of Levinas, and applied philosophy. They discuss what continental and analytical philosophy are and their similarities and differences. They discuss how to accurately understand postmodernism and deconstructionism. They talk about the philosophy of Levinas and his understanding of phenomenology. They mention why the biography of philosophers is important for understanding philosophical ideas. They discuss "the other" in the philosophies of Kierkegaard, Levinas, and Sartre. They talk about the ethics of Levinas and how philosophy can be applied in society today. Simon Critchley is a philosopher who is the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research. His areas of research include psychoanalysis, continental philosophy, ethics, and political theory. He has written numerous books, including the most recent, Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts. You can find all of his work here.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lucy Foulkes around mental illness and some of the facts and messaging regarding this topic. They define mental illness and discuss the differences between acute and chronic symptoms. They talk about how to understand the conceptualization of mental disorders along with the distinctions between pathological and non-pathological symptoms. They spend time discussing de-stigmatization and how this works for athletes and public figures. They also engage about how de-stigmatization works with social media for many people. They also discuss treatment for individuals with mental illness and many other topics. Lucy Foulkes is a Psychologist and Honorary Lecturer in Psychology at University College, London. Her research primarily focuses on mental health and social cognition in adolescence. Her latest book, Losing Our Minds: What Mental Illness Really is and What it isn't is available here. You can find her research here. Twitter: @lfoulkesy Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Allen Buchanan about the origins of tribalism and morality. They discuss his reasons for writing about tribalism and ideology along with providing a definition of tribalism and how it manifests in society. Allen provides his critiques of the evolutionary models for morality and how he finds cooperation incomplete. They discuss the current evolutionary and psychological theories about cooperation and how they interact with his criticisms. They discuss the impact of culture and his pragmatic answers to tribalism and poor ideology and many other topics.Allen Buchanan is a philosopher and was the James B Duke Professor of Philosophy at Duke University. He was also a professor of Philosophy of International Law at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College, London. Currently, he teaches and conducts research at the University of Arizona. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, Our Moral Fate: Evolution and the Escape From Tribalism. Find him here.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

June Tangney, a Clinical Psychologist and professor, dives deep into the emotion of shame. She clarifies the distinction between shame and guilt, revealing how they shape our identities and societal perceptions. The conversation also explores the dual nature of shame, its adaptive qualities, and its presence in different cultures. Tangney discusses the impact of shame on trauma and health, particularly in therapeutic settings. Insights into its manifestation in pop culture and the interplay with hubristic pride enrich this enlightening dialogue.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kevin Mitchell on genetics, neuroscience, and variation in development. They discuss why developmental variation is important to understanding genes and environment through the trajectory of the lifespan. They talk about how a person responds to the environment and why this is a key essential feature for gene and environment interaction. They talk about the genome as a system or program that can interact with other "noise" in the system. They make the distinctions between traits and genes and how neuropsychiatric disorders are implicated by genetic variation. The provide an example of heritability using Autism and the various genes involved in the development of Autism. They talk about how much genetic programming is set before birth and also provide a definition of environment. They use intelligence as an example to explain the differences in the nature vs. nurture debate. They talk about the importance of twin studies, use of polygenic scores, epigenetics, neuroplasticity, and many other topics.Kevin Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. He has his BA in Genetics from Trinity College Dublin and his PhD in Neurobiology from the University of California at Berkeley. His current research focuses on genetics and wiring of the brain specifically as it relates to neuropsychiatric disorders. He is the author of Innate: How the wiring of our brains shapes who we are which you can purchase here. He also has his own blog. Twitter: @wiringthebrain Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kathryn Gordon about the challenging topic of suicide. They discuss the current data and statistics on suicide in the United States. They talk about the connection between suicide and mental illness and how to spot warning signs for suicide. They discuss the appropriate ways to ask if someone is suicidal along with the differences between passive and active suicidal ideations. They distinguish what is different between a safety contract and a safety plan. They also mention the role of self-injurious behaviors and their various differences from suicidal gestures. They also talk about the dangers of discussion suicide on social media and many other topics. Kathryn Gordon is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who is a clinician and researcher. As a clinician, she specializes in conducting Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a variety of clients. She also conducts active research on Eating Disorders. She was also an Associate Professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University. You can find her published research here. She is the author of The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook which can be purchased here. She is the co-host of the podcast, Psychodrama and write a blog for Psychology Today. Twitter: @drkathryngordon Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Inger Burnett-Ziegler about the emotional lives of Black women and how Black women can have authenticity and empowerment. They discuss Inger's background and her reasoning for writing her book. They discuss the origins of the norm that Black women must be strong and not expressive with vulnerabilities. They talk about the current internal and external barriers for Black women being able to express their positive and negative experiences. They also talk about how empowerment and authentic expressions of self are received by Black women. They describe some of the features of intergenerational trauma and how colorism impacts Black women. They end by discussing the stigma of Black women seeking mental health treatment. Inger Burnett-Zeigler is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She has over 15 years of clinical experience providing Psychological interventions to various patients. Her research focuses on mental health disparities within the Black community. Her first book, Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women is available now. You can also find all relevant links to her research and appearances at her website. Twitter: @ibzpsychphd Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe