Disrupting inter-generational cycles of trauma: a R-cubed podcast

Finally season 2 of Disrupting intergenerational  cycles of trauma has landed. In this episode Lane, Mike and Grant revisit episode one - when the past stands in front of the present - especially how the past keeps being recycled in the present. So we dig a little deeper into historical trauma, what it is and how it manifests here in south africa and elsewhere in the world. It also includes a brief detour on the topic of 'cancel culture' and its relation to historical trauma.

This is the introduction to the new season in which we are going to explore the global reality of historical trauma - the patterns of oppression and woundedness but also, importantly, the processes of healing. 

In this, the final episode of season 1 of the R-Cubed podcast, we listen to activist and businessman, Greg Davids as he takes us through his experience of covid-19. It's a breathless description of the pre-infection preparation that involved informing himself with as much knowledge as possible in the event that he contracted covid; through the difficulties of the effects of infection, the trauma of hospitalisation, the feelings of isolation and the recovery. It's a story that gives insight to the physical and emotional toll of covid but also one of hope and the importance of the role that we as individuals have in our own healing - be it covid or something else. 

Warning! This is longer than usual, there was too much to talk about and even then the episode had to end in a hurry!

In this episode Mike Abrams, Dezz van Niekerk and Grant Stewart have a wide ranging conversation on masculinity and its forms of expression. How do we make sense or to some extent grasp the high level of gender-based violence in South Africa - without making excuses or justifying? And how do we transform the patterns we see? 

Various aspects of masculinity are explored touching on the significant influence of  systemic/structural realities, both as a current experience but also within its historical contex and the way that shame and shaming have been used to control especially working class men. Individual issues, informed/influenced by culture, are discussed including the denial of emotions or feelings and the excuses that men often use to avoid these intimate moments of their lives - both within themselves as well as in their interaction with partners and children. 

The solutions are not simple or short-term but there is an emphasis on the responsibility of men to do the hard work in their everyday to undo the pattern of GBV in our country; for men to hold men accountable; for men to aim to build ally-ship with women; and to significantly shift the institutions that embody and promote forms of masculinity that produce violence. 

The Black Lives Matter global movement has heightened awareness of racism over the last few years, but not more so than in recent months after the killing of George Floyd by a policeman in USA. It has heightened racial tensions with some (mostly white people) countering that "all lives matter". In this episode Lane, Minah (Beautiful Gate, Philippi) and Erica (New World Foundation, Lavender Hill) discuss this issue of Black Lives Matter. They reject the "all lives matter" notion and go further to emphasise that in Cape Town its not just Black Lives that matter but that black lives on the Cape Flats should also matter and that often, in policy, practice and attitudes they have not. 

In this episode Shehnaz, Naz, Mike and Grant continue their conversation about governance. Taking from where they left off, the discussion revolves around human connection as it weaves its way through racism, protests, covid and grassroots governance. 

In this episode Grant and Mike (from R-cubed) and guests, Shehnaz Moosa (Cape Town) and Naz Keval (UK) have a conversation about governance with the backdrop of covid-19.  Governance discussed largely with a focus on public administration.

The conversation highlighted the traumatised nature of the way governments often function. When faced with threat clear thinking becomes that much more difficult, and we can see this threat perspective in the military metaphors and discourse that have been used throughout the response to covid. Thus, we see that with structures that are not in place, regardless of the spoken intent the effect of threat means government return to what they know - governance is compromised bu the very system it fronts. Furthermore, a traumatised state seeks to regain control. It is a reactive rather than a responsive form of governance. 

On the other hand what has been observed is that a grassroots level an organic approach has emerged to care for communities, something not initiated or controlled by government. What this has demonstrated in the light of the state of governance is the need for a people-centric form of governance. That governments need to find the human connection in the way that they govern

A continuation from our previous episode 'a moment in (schooling) time', where Lane and Grant conversed around the imminent return of learners to school. Our discussion was not around the merits of return or not return, but rather that perhaps an opportunity has been missed to rethink the way we do schooling. In particular, the issue was raised as to why the focus is on the curriculum that practically ignores the social-emotional basis of learning - a critical issue at this time where so many are wrestling with anxiety and stress, and for some this is loaded on top of already existing trauma.

In this episode we dig a bit deeper into the social emotional aspects of learning. Lane and Grant are joined by Jessica Wasserman (an Ed Psych) and Ashley Visagie (from Bottomup). We highlight the various areas of social emotional learning, from the broader schooling system, the unjust infrastructural realities and the experience of the individual learner in the classroom itself. The question is raised again as to why the pursuit to 'finish' the academic school year when covid seems to have provided an opportunity to rethink, reconsider the way we do school (and the way schools could be community centres). 

The 30+ minutes only scratches the surface, but schooling, as it is, is not working for so many learners in South Africa can we find the courage and vulnerability to admit that and take this 'covid moment' to consider and plan for a different way. 

Teachers are returning to school, grade 7 and grade 12 learners are due to return while the debate rages on: Should schools reopen? If not all schools will be ready to open should any school be opened? There are health issues, there are economic issues (parents need to get back to work) and there is the reality that for many children school is the one place in their lives that is safe and where they eat. 

In this episode Grant and Lane talk enter in to this conversation posing the question as to whether an opportunity is being missed, a moment in time to pause, rethink even redesign the way we do schooling. There appears to be the pursuit to return to some form of normality, which really means a return to the curriculum. And yet this is where the significant missing element is found, the social-emotional state of learners and the impact of inter-generational trauma. This is something that is consistently overlooked when it comes to education ignoring the science that has shown the foundational role that the social emotional development of children plays in learning. 
 

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Following on from "voices from the frontline" in this episode Natalie and Minkateko share thoughts from their take aways from the interviews. One take away that stood out was the emphasis on being kind to ourselves in this season - applicable to more than just those in the health professions.

Covid-19 has placed health professionals front and centre in our collective lives, perhaps more than ever. As we know, the individuals that make up the health profession across the globe have been on the front-line in terms of response, placing them in both a physical and emotional vulnerable space. In light of that reality in this episode we interview three health professionals to hear first hand their reflections on their lives and profession in the midst of the global pandemic. As far as possible we have sought to give the air space to them.