Refamulating

11 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 1)


Listen Later

The nuclear family has been held up as the ideal for generations, but it's actually a relatively recent invention. From college dorms to pandemic pods, some of our happiest moments come from living in community with others. So why do Americans cling to independence as a marker of success? In our Season 2 premiere, we explore how our individualistic lifestyle developed, what it's costing us, and how reimagining family structures could create a more connected future.


Our guest is Dr. Kristen Ghodsee, professor of Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life.


_


Every month, we host ReFamily Dinner, a virtual event that connects our audience with someone who has refamulated. The guest talks about their experience and answers your questions. This month’s dinner is a conversation on communal living with Lily Lamboy and her husband Alex Savtchenko. Lily & Alex own and operate Ryza, a community home in Berkeley which they share with six friends.


Sign up for this month's event here, and join us Nov. 13 from 8-9:30 p.m. EST. 


_


Referenced in this Episode:

  • "Everyday Utopia" by Kristen Ghodsee 
  • "Homeward Bound" by Elaine Tyler May
  • "The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake" by David Brooks in The Atlantic
  • U.S. Surgeon General's report: "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023)
  • Johnson County city bans co-living with four or more people
  • _


    The episode transcript can be found here.

    _


    Connect with us: 


    EMAIL: [email protected]

    WEBSITE

    INSTAGRAM

    TIK TOK

    _


    Subscribe to our Substack for more refamulating! We write about how refamulating looks in our lives, share resources we’re using as we make this show and share special bonus content for paid subscribers.

    _


    Our team 


    Host: Julia Winston

    Producer: Claire McInerny 

    Manager of Engagement: Grace Barry

    Audio Engineer: Josh Gilbert

    Theme Music: Luke Top



    We are a member of the Feelings and Co network. 

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    RefamulatingBy Feelings & Co

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    104 ratings


    More shows like Refamulating

    View all
    This American Life by This American Life

    This American Life

    90,421 Listeners

    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    37,904 Listeners

    The Longest Shortest Time by Hillary Frank | QCODE

    The Longest Shortest Time

    4,088 Listeners

    Death, Sex & Money by Slate Podcasts

    Death, Sex & Money

    7,712 Listeners

    Dear Sugars by WBUR

    Dear Sugars

    5,650 Listeners

    Thanks For Asking by Feelings & Co.

    Thanks For Asking

    13,263 Listeners

    Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel by Esther Perel Global Media

    Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

    14,870 Listeners

    Love Letters by The Boston Globe

    Love Letters

    1,312 Listeners

    Committed by iHeartPodcasts

    Committed

    1,643 Listeners

    Family Secrets by iHeartPodcasts

    Family Secrets

    4,966 Listeners

    Last Day by Lemonada Media

    Last Day

    3,066 Listeners

    Embodied by WUNC

    Embodied

    211 Listeners

    We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle and Audacy

    We Can Do Hard Things

    41,033 Listeners

    Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus by Lemonada Media

    Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    10,457 Listeners

    Weight For It by ohitsBigRon Studios

    Weight For It

    826 Listeners