Hi Will, tell us a bit about yourself!

Even as a boy I was interested in what kinds of organisation best help people work and live in a fulfilling way that allow their talents to flourish and improve the world in some way – to this day I am not sure why or where the interest came from. Growing up in the 1960s to a backdrop of Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Stones must have helped – but I suspect I was born with a social science gene. Let’s apply ourselves really to improving the economy and society as much as dancing in the street (although I like doing that too!) I found I was good at Social Science subjects which led to studying Economics and Sociology at Bristol University which has followed through to be the golden thread in my life – my journalism, my books, the think tanks which I have lead, the policy commissions, heading up an Oxford college and now being President of the Academy of Social Sciences.

How did you get involved in this podcast – where did it all start?

I was brainstorming with the Academy’s CEO Rita Gardner about how to spread the word about social science – she floated the idea of a podcast and I jumped at it. We did the first series last Summer.

Each episode you ask your guests what the ‘We Society’ means to them – what does it mean to you?

Aha. Well I coined the term in the 2021 Campaign for Social Science annual lecture and it’s the cornerstone of a book I am writing. We human beings need each other – we need to associate with one another, work and play together, team up in families and groups, build organisations and institutions together. Yes, the good society must foster individual agency and our taking responsibility for our lives , but within a firm societal framework of “ we” . It is not moral only to care about oneself and one’s individual interests as the hyper libertarians argue. Morality must be about accepting obligations to the whole – delivering a social purpose in some way. The We Society tries to capture that notion – and the role of Social Science in laying out the evidence and the options.

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

It’s tempting to reply with something high-falutin’, but the honest answer is Joan and Jericha – had me weeping with laughter.

Which podcasts did you take inspiration from?

In terms of the range of subjects we cover, Reasons to be Cheerful, The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics – but we decided to follow Steve Richards and Rock & Roll Politics with just a sole presenter. I like to think that The We Society podcast is carving out a distinctive niche. We give entertaining , enthusiastic but serious experts and policy architects along with the occasional politician, writer or artist, all of whom are burning to make the world better based on really good evidence, a platform to express their ideas but being challenged where necessary – while always looking for an intriguing angle.

The podcast talks about ‘Ideas to shape the way we live’ so is there an episode that has shaped you personally?

Ai Weiwei , the Chinese artist and dissident, dismissing his 81 days in solitary confinement as nothing besides the 5 year horror his father went through – having single-handedly to clear the latrines of a large village everyday with the crudest of implements, never having a day off and living in an underground dug-out. That hit me hard, along with his recognition that the Chinese Communist party uses the We Society to oppress, not liberate – even as he subscribes to our western concept of the We Society. In the wrong hands the concept can be abused. But the overriding thing all the podcasts share is the passion of the social scientists for their subject and their sheer knowledge. It’s inspiring.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about the show?

Follow @AcadSocSciences or @williamnhutton on Twitter, check in with your podcast app or go to acss.org.uk.

Listen to The We Society on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

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For those of you who missed Root of Evil, this 2019 hit saw hosts and sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile unravel their own family secrets. They set about exploring their grandfather Dr George Hodel’s involvement in the 1947 Elizabeth Short case, The Black Dahlia Murder. And now Pecoraro and Gentile are back with Facing Evil, delving into a different case each week with a touching affinity to families also hit by tragedy.

This podcast starts as an ode to Hawaii, where the hosts are from. And this is where the first case takes place. Lisa Au left her boyfriend’s sister’s house in Honolulu one night in 1982, and no spoilers, but it did not end well for her.

Pecoraro and Gentile go through the various suspects (it’s always the boyfriend, right?) and discuss the chilling possibility that it was someone posing as a police officer who pulled her over to the side of the road that night.

Episode 2 covers the 1998 murder of 21-year-old gay student Matthew Shepard. He was approached by two men at a bar and inexplicably left with them. He was found the next day tied to a fence, and died six days later as a result of his injuries.

Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were caught and charged, and this case brought hate crimes to the forefront of the public’s mind. The suspects even used homophobic slurs during their testimonies to the police.

Pecoraro is gay. Gentile is clearly an ally. Pecoraro came out at 30 (she is now 43), and says she would have come out sooner if not for this murder, which took place while she was in high school. The direct impact of this murder on these sisters is tangible.

The first two cases addressed by Facing Evil led to changes in US legislation. In the Lisa Au case, police officers are no longer allowed to use blue lights on top of civilian-appearing cars, because it is too easy to impersonate. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced and signed into law by President Barack Obama. It aims to protect people from hate crimes at any time, and not just while partaking in protected activities like voting or going to school. Byrd was also murdered in 1998 and dragged for three miles behind a pickup truck because he was black.

This podcast series carries a higher message of promoting a better understanding on gender, race and homosexuality. This may be a bit intense at times – there is none of the light relief you get from a true crime comedy podcast such as Wine & Crime or Murder Most Irish – but remember, they are coming from a country that has just overturned abortion rights, and they’re coming for the gays next. And while there are still people out there scared to come out, or preferring to be dead, keeping these topics in the public eye is super important. Pecoraro and Gentile embody this message with sympathetic treatment of victims and stories and without being too preachy.

Listen to Facing Evil on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps.

Diana Safieh hosts We Knew The Moon podcast, on all things empath, spiritual, witchy, unexplained, creepy and spooky. She is a co-founder of The Goddess Temple, Twickenham, which holds guided meditations and workshops, like Tea & Tarot. And Make Your Own Smudge Sticks. She hosts a monthly webinar series on the situation in Palestine/Israel for The Balfour Project charity.

The post REVIEW // Facing Evil with Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile appeared first on POD BIBLE.