Big World

Why do aid projects in Haiti so often seem to fail? In this episode of Big World, Professor Scott Freeman joins us to discuss the colonial history of foreign intervention in the country [01:28] and urges us to work past the international aid community’s historical rhetoric to create new narratives for “the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.” He encourages us to consider the prescribed terms and conditions of aid initiatives, and he challenges how we should define “successes” and “failures” for ongoing aid projects [04:24]. We learn more about who’s controlling aid and how NGOs and elite individuals have designed policies without local input, including how Haitians were essentially excluded from planning meetings after the disastrous 2010 earthquake by virtue of the meetings being conducted in English rather than Haitian Creole [06:09]. Freeman explains how over-productive American markets can be the cause (rather than the solution) to Haiti’s economic precarity and how Haitian commodities can be priced out of consumption and change traditional diets [08:33]. Transport yourself into the shoes of Haitian farmers facing impossible decisions: If your only income comes from keeping your land as productive as possible, would you risk poverty to conserve it for the next generation [16:58]? What is Haiti’s most famous luxury export, and how does the industry actively suppress farmer involvement for financial gain [18:56]? And to add insult to injurious aid: as the US spends less on international aid and natural disasters increase in frequency, where does the future of aid leave Haiti in the time of climate change [22:41]? We ask Freeman about the changes he would make to international development practices in our “Take Five” segment [12:42], and we learn more about the global economy, including how engaging with foreign policy can be more powerful than simply donating to a charity [14:50].

From hyperdrives to the Vulcan salute, science fiction and fantasy have provided the abundance of worlds and characters that comprise our pop culture. But can these genres inform or reflect our thinking about international relations? In this episode, Professor Jackson joins us to discuss the ways that pop culture intersects with international relations, including how Star Trek reflected the discussion on Vietnam in the ‘60s (05:36) and how the Star Wars universe takes place in a morally ordered reality (08:45). Learn how Battlestar Galactica sparked conversations on terrorism (15:29) and how Ursula Le Guin’s books encourage readers to reflect on society and themselves (18:36). Also, consider the kinds of topics that future science fiction writers might need to grapple with based on today’s world (21:12). We ask Jackson about the ways he would change the study of international affairs in our “Take Five” segment (11:00), and we learn why it’s important for international affairs scholars to read and take part in conversations in other languages.

Generations of Americans grew up in front of Sesame Street, but it might surprise you to learn that children all around the world are reciting “Rubber Ducky,” too – in many different languages and alongside characters we’ve never seen. In this episode Professor Moland joins us to discuss just how Nigeria’s Sesame Square presents a unique case study for the soft power of educational programing abroad, including what the United States hopes to gain by funding the program (03:57) and how the history of Nigeria’s educational infrastructure influences viewership (06:02). Learn how Big Bird is breaking down barriers and unifying Nigerian identities (15:09) while actively combating extremism amid kidnappings by the terrorist organization Boko Haram (17:14). Also, find out how the revolutionary program is tackling country-specific sensitivities and challenges with local Muppets like the HIV-positive Kami (20:05). We ask Moland about the peace education policies she would implement to help combat conflict in our “Take Five” segment (08:31), and we learn to understand more about the nuances of identity, including how they help and hinder othering.

Terrorism has been a key issue in US domestic and foreign policy, as well as the country’s national discourse, since 2001. As the War on Terror continues 17 year later, what have we learned about Americans’ attitudes towards and relationship to terrorism? In this episode of Big World, Professor Young outlines what he thinks are the biggest misconceptions that Americans have about terrorism and why only certain people or groups are labelled “terrorists” (1:18). He talks about Americans who have joined or attempted to join ISIS (3:40), as well as what drives some Americans to join anti-ISIS militias like the Kurdush YPG (6:17). Young explains what he thinks motivates terrorists (hint: it’s not religion) and why today’s terrorism isn’t so different from that of biblical times (9:55). Taking a look at Americans who aren’t on the frontlines, Young describes his research into how depictions of torture on television can impact whether Americans support the use of torture as a counterterrorism measure (17:10). Finally, Young discusses whether he thinks that we think about terrorism too much (21:41). What would Young do to address terrorism and responses to terrorism around the world? Hear his top five policy suggestions in our “Take Five” segment (11:51).

The #MeToo movement has gone global and led to important conversations about the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment worldwide. But have women on the margins—sex workers, domestic workers, and migrants—benefited from the movement? In this episode of Big World, Chin defines what it means to be an economic migrant (1:14) and how the traditional idea of “women’s work” connects female migrants who perform sex work or live-in domestic work (2:12). She discusses the contradictions and stigmas that allow foreign domestic workers to be entrusted with the care of children and households while simultaneously being subjected to constant surveillance (3:40). Chin also talks about the “constrained choices” available to migrant women in Southeast Asia and why a woman might choose to become a sex worker rather than a restaurant server or domestic worker (12:52). Finally, Chin discusses her reaction to the #MeToo movement (18:25) and whether sex workers and domestic workers will see any benefits to their own lives as a result of the movement (20:30). What would Chin do to create positive change for women on the margins? Hear her top five policy suggestions for improving the lives of female migrants in our “Take Five” segment (8:33).

Could a giant vacuum that sucks dangerous greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere really be effective in reversing climate change, or is this just a thing of science fiction? Humans release 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, and that number will continue to grow unless the global community makes serious efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We’ve long known that forests are “carbon sinks” that remove carbon from the atmosphere for photosynthesis, but man-made technology that can artificially trap and store carbon could be essential to mitigating the effects of climate change in the future. In this episode of Big World, Nicholson explains carbon removal and why scientists are looking to this emerging technology as a potential solution to the world’s carbon woes (2:24). He discusses whether scientists (4:43) or environmentalists (5:57) have come to any consensus on the need or feasibility of technology-based carbon removal strategies, and if technological advances got earth into the climate change mess to begin with (8:45). Grounding the carbon removal conversation, Nicholson hypothesizes about what a carbon vacuum in Bangkok might look like and why any effort to mitigate climate change has global, not just local, effects (16:37). What would Nicholson do to reduce carbon in earth’s atmosphere? Hear his top five policy suggestions for mitigating climate change in our segment “Take Five” (12:15).

Big World brings you conversations that get you thinking about things differently, or maybe just thinking about different things. Join us as we take international affairs to interesting places every month.