The Reflection briefing will include presentations in small groups or individually. Students will listen to the podcast of their choice from the list below, and present to the rest of the program participants. Podcast episodes are selected to teach about an event or person in history which exemplifies the difficulty of cross-cultural interactions.
Your presentation should answer the questions:
- What cross-cultural interaction took place, and what was the context?
- Who was involved?
- What fatal cultural mistake was made, if any? What cultural success took place, if any?
- What can we learn from this event today?
Content warning: Most of these podcast episodes contain content that can be upsetting, including the effects of colonization: violence, sexual assault, separation of children from parents, etc. I can offer suggestions based on content, if you believe you may have difficulty with this aspect.
“Captain Cook’s First Voyage” You’re Dead To Me
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast
The hosts of this comedy/history podcast discuss the British explorer’s encounter with the Polynesian Islanders. Who learned from whom?
“Ngola Nzinga” AfriWetu
This warrior queen in 17th century West Africa held off Portuguese colonial rule for decades. How successful was she? Very successful.
“The Translator, Malintzin” What’s Her Name?
Website with full transcript, Spotify Stitcher
Was she a translator, a traitor, or a dutiful wife? All of the above?
“Rollo: The First Norman” Gone Medieval
Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Rollo was an outlaw in his native land. Rollo went a-Viking. Rollo became a respected political leader and founder of a dynasty. How did he pull this off?
“Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary” Empire
Rather than a single encounter, this episode addresses the effect that a major cultural clash, the British in South Asia, has over an entire lifetime. Two lifetimes, in fact: father and daughter.
“Robert Hart, Chinese Customs” Chinese Characters
Modernizing China was, in part, the work of a boy from Northern Ireland. Wait, what?