Topics: Life Changers

As people have fewer phone conversations, choosing instead to use texts and on-line social networking, anthropologist Sherry Turkle has noticed something. Director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and the Self, she researches how people interact with experimental sociable robots. People are growing more receptive to robots taking the place of some human relationships as we become more accustomed to our narrowing human interactions. Hear this and other observations from her book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Karen Saupe hosts.

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“Organic is just the beginning: why stop there?” asks Joel Salatin, entrepreneur and owner of Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, known for its unique approach to sustainable farming. His home-made inventions rely on creative problem-solving and hi-tech materials to gain the most wholesome use of his land and livestock. Featured in Food, Inc. and Omnivore’s Dilemma, Salatin sums it up with his latest book title--Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World. Karen Saupe hosts.

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Finding a job may not seem the highest priority for most gang members, but Father Greg Boyle learned otherwise when he befriended gang members in his parish and started the largest gang intervention program in the U.S. His book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion describes his personal experience working with Homeboy Industries in downtown Los Angeles for over twenty years, and he shares what those experiences have taught him. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

There’s a life-altering trauma that 1 in 5 American children experience, yet it rarely comes up in conversation: molestation. Survivor Nicole Braddock Bromley started an organization called OneVOICE Enterprises to break the silence in our families and in society. She discusses conversations she has had with hundreds of victims on her speaking tours, and experiences related in her books, including Hush: Moving from Silence to Healing after Childhood Sexual Abuse. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

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We know that soldiers can be injured physically, or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But there’s a third kind of injury that results when soldiers engage in actions that violate their own moral principles; it’s known as “moral injury.” Herman Keizer, chaplain for the U.S. Army for over 40 years, tells about a movement seeking to change how the military regards and addresses injuries to the conscience. Karen Saupe hosts.

Package: "Soldiers of Conscience: Camilo Mejia" from www.soldiers-themovie.com

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Imagine being asked to take charge of one of the bloodiest prisons in America, where cell-mates chose to sleep in shifts in order to protect each other.  Burl Cain, Prison Warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as Angola) was given this charge, and became committed to changing the reputation of the prison. He describes his winning mixture of devotion and discipline. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Out of curiosity, a woman walks into a church. She’s offered communion, and it changes her life. She ends up turning the feast into a food pantry, which nurtures others (as well as herself) beyond what she ever imagined. Sara Miles, director of  St. Gregory's Food Pantry in San Francisco, shares thoughts from her memoirs Take This Bread and Jesus Freak: Feeding Healing Raising the Dead. Karen Saupe hosts.

We hear about prisoners, but not so often from prisoners. When bestselling novelist Wally Lamb (She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much is True) tried his hand at teaching prisoners to write, he had no idea how many lives would be impacted. Hear how their compelling personal stories were published after considerable opposition from the prison. Karen Saupe hosts.

With the definition of autism now encompassing a wide range of behaviors, more people find themselves daily encountering those diagnosed with some version of this disorder. How can we make more room for differing styles of relating? Laurel Falvo of The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding provides ideas for improving communication on all sides. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

When a child has been abandoned by his or her parents, it leaves a wound that is hard to heal. Those nearby may feel there is nothing they can do for so deep a need. Rob Mitchell, author of Castaway Kid: One Man’s Search for Hope and Home, describes how several people made a difference during his childhood in an orphanage. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Although viewing pornography is often dismissed as a rite of passage into adulthood, Michael Leahy,author of Porn Nation and Porn University, hears a different message from thousands of college students. Many are not prepared for the guilt, altered perspective, and addiction that often follow in pornography's wake. Leahy describes the destruction from first-hand experience, and suggests ways to begin rebuilding. Karen Saupe hosts. 

When families climb out of poverty, they often leave their old neighborhoods behind. What can help an at-risk population when it loses its stabilizing core? Today we'll hear from long-time civil rights activist and author John Perkins, who holds 9 honorary doctorates for his tremendous success building up poor communities across the country. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Is racism a thing of the past or is it still with us, something many people try to will away and out of sight? Barbara Trepagnier, sociology professor at Texas State University-San Marcos, discusses the subtleties of prejudice in her book Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide. Karen Saupe hosts.

For too many students, the hurdles to getting a college diploma are nearly insurmountable. Brandy Johnson, Michigan director of College Access Network, describes the national program designed to support, inform, and encourage students so they have a better chance at career choices and salaries they’d like. Karen Saupe hosts.

Buying a shirt? Basing your decision on the look and price? Shopping for clothing may feel like a straightforward venture, yet the story behind each garment is complex. Activist and entrepreneur Marta Swain, owner of a community-minded apparel store in Grand Rapids, weaves stories of sustainable farming and labor practices with advice for benefiting everyone involved in your purchase. Karen Saupe hosts.