Converging Dialogues

Batja Mesquita, a social psychologist, discusses how culture influences emotions with Xavier Bonilla. They cover the distinctions between emotions, universalist vs. social constructionist theories, expression of emotions, shame across cultures, and emotional acculturation to new environments. Mesquita's expertise in cultural psychology sheds light on diverse emotional experiences and the impact of cultural norms on emotional expressions.

Natalie Foster discusses economic guarantees for Americans, emphasizing government involvement and community organizing. Topics include FDR's policies, neoliberalism, bank bailouts, populism, ACA impact, and the future of economic stability.

Tricia Rose discusses systemic racism in the US, defining metaracism, exploring individuals vs. institutions, systems theory, colorblindness, and the evolution of racism. She emphasizes the need to understand nuanced oppression and hidden biases to address systemic disparities effectively.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Merry about the Presidency of James Polk. They give and overview of James Polk, influence of Andrew Jackson, Polk’s personality and trajectory, and the four major issues he tackled as President. They discuss Polk’s expansionism, the Mexican-American War, Polk’s one-term deal, legacy, and many more topics. Robert W. Merry has an extensive background as a reporter, newsroom manager, and publishing CEO. He has both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Journalism. Currently, he is the author of numerous books on American history and foreign policy, including, A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent. Website: https://www.robertwmerry.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

Professor Alex Edmans discusses misinformation, confirmation bias, data interpretation, and ethical considerations in statistics. They explore the 10,000 hours rule, correlation vs. causation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Emphasizing critical thinking and avoiding biases in research and decision-making.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stephanie Ternullo about the political shift from liberal to conservative in the American heartland over the 20th century. They discuss how she constructed her study, makeup of the three Midwest cities used in the study, New Deal coalition, place-based partisanship, role of unions, and many more topics. Stephanie Ternullo is Assistant Professor in Government at Harvard University. She has her PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago. Her research uses multiple methods to explore the bidirectional relationship between place and politics – both how politics shape places, and how places shape political identity and behavior. She is the author of the book, How the Heartland Went Red: Why Local Forces Matter in an Age of Nationalized Politics. Website: https://stephanieternullo.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

Cognitive scientist Paco Calvo discusses plant intelligence, ethics, and what it's like to be a plant. Topics include sun tracking, predictive processing, domesticated vs. wild plants, time, and the individuality of plants.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Boryga about his novel on victimhood. They discuss how he approaches writing novels vs. non-fiction pieces, choosing themes for the novel, personal influence on fictional characters, evolution of characters, and using tragedy and victimhood for clout. They also discuss dealing with social justice themes, shaped by environment, stereotypes, talking about experiences honestly, and many more topics. Andrew Boryga is a writer, editor, and author who’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, The Daily Beast, and many other outlets. He has also taught fiction and non-fiction writing to elementary school students, college students, and incarcerated men in Florida. He is the author of the new novel, Victim. Website: https://www.andrewboryga.com/Substack: Andrew Boryga Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Cole Bunzel about the Islamic branch of Wahhābism. They talk about the current landscape of Wahhābism, extreme and non-extreme uses of Wahhābism and some of the differences between terrorists groups that use Wahhābism. They discuss Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and how he started a movement, modeling himself after the Prophet Muhammad, being against polytheism and the cult of saints, and why Wahhābism was designed to be aggressive. They discuss the critics of Wahhābism, role of Sufism, major doctrines, three Saudi states, legacy of Wahhābism, and many other topics. Cole Bunzel is a historian and fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He studies the history and contemporary affairs of the Islamic Middle East, with a particular focus on violent Islamism and the Arabian Peninsula. He has his MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and his BA and PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He has been a research fellow in Islamic law and civilization at the Yale Law School, and is a nonresident fellow at the George Washington University Program on Extremism. He is the editor of the blog Jihadica and has written widely on the ideology of Sunni jihadism, including his most recent book, Wahhābism: The History of A Militant Islamic Movement. Twitter: @colebunzel Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Marcus about the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. They discuss how the book is formed and how themes are pulled from Emerson’s life, his religious background and relationship with religion over his lifetime, unitarianism, and when do we find our identity. They talk about first and second marriages, self-reliance and individualism, nature, slavery, his legacy, and many more topics. James Marcus is an editor, translator, critic and writer. He was editor-in-chief at Harper’s Magazine and worked at Columbia Journalism Review. He is the author of the latest book, Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Twitter: @jamesamarcus Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe