Preconceived

There is something about royalty and the idea of “the crown” that captures the public’s attention and imagination. Yet while historically, monarchies used to run many countries and empires around the world, only several remain today, the most public of which, is the British royal monarchy. Yet while for some it ignites reverie and imagination, it is reasonable to ask what purpose the monarchy actually serves. Why is the British monarch so important, if it really is at all? Is the idea of a monarchy actually outdated, or does it still serve as some important symbol? Has the British monarchy sufficiently changed with the times, or has it become an outdated institution that will fall by the wayside in due time? Royal Commentator Ed Wang joins the podcast.

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Eric Silverberg and Eli Gladstone, founders of Speaker Labs, shed light on why it is ingrained into our DNA to fear public speaking and how we can look at public speaking "failures" in a more favourable light. Why is public speaking so important, and how do we decipher an authentic public speaker from a charismatic phoney?

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Humans are conditioned to be attracted to beautiful things and to beautiful people. We use phrases such as “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. But are these adages really true? How real and significant is the effect of beauty on our perceptions of other people? Is beauty as subjective and malleable as we like to believe? How do our perceptions then influence our actual behaviours? Are beautiful people happier in general? And do beautiful people even make more money over the course of their lifetimes? Daniel Hamermesh, economist and author of the book "Beauty Pays", joins the podcast.

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When you meet someone, you probably take stock of their name, gender, age and occupation. These are some of the basic "get-to-know" questions. But how does knowledge of these demographics perhaps impact our perceptions of the people we meet? What types of stereotypes and assumptions do we subconsciously make about people before we have really even gotten to know them? Zale explores the "get-to-know-you" questions on this episode of A Preconceived Moment

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When our history books speak of North American history, it can almost read as if Canada and the United States did not exist until the Europeans settled the lands, while in reality, these lands were populated by indigenous peoples for centuries prior. With the arrival of the Europeans, there were tragic economic implications, massive losses of land and rapid spread of disease that had devastating effects on the indigenous peoples. Perhaps most tragic was the Indian residential schools policy and initiative that took indigenous children away from their families, where their culture was eradicated. Theodore Fontaine, a member and former Chief of the Sagkeeng Ojibway First Nation, joins the podcast to share his story.

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One of the society’s most basic fabrics has been the traditional family unit – that is, a mother, a father, and their biological children. But as society becomes more progressive and accepting of alternative family types, we have begun to see the emergence of a new type of family, the “modern family”. So as we embrace the range of newer and less traditional family units, it’s important for us to understand the impact they have on our lives, and the lives of the children who are being raised. How does the gender of a parent influence a child’s development? Is there benefit in still having a traditional “mother” and a traditional “father” figure in one’s life? Does a couple need to be “in love” in order to raise a child? Moreover, does one even need to be a part of a couple to raise a child, or has single parenting by choice shown to be effective? Professor Susan Golombok joins the podcast to share the main takeaways from her 40 years of research.

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The first fraternity in the United States was established in the 1700s. And while much has changed since then in regards to what a fraternity is and how it operates, tradition and reverence for past customs is also an important cornerstone of frat culture. But as our culture, social norms and perspectives regarding inclusivity continue to change rapidly, how have fraternities adjusted? What is the purpose of a fraternity? Why does someone decide to become a part of a fraternity? Are fraternities just for White privileged folk, or is that just an outdated misconception? While many cite their fraternity experiences as some of the most significant and monumental in their lives, others have certainly been traumatized by their pledging and hazing experiences. Dan Faill joins with the podcast to discuss his experience working with fraternities and sororities over the past 20 years.

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What is it like to live with an intellectual disability? Jeffery Masci was deprived of oxygen during his birth, which led to lifelong challenges with intellectual disability. This manifested as slower information processing, as well as language and speech difficulties. While his condition has led to significant social and professional challenges, Jeffery has persevered to accomplish much during his life. He joins the podcast to discuss preconceptions regarding his disability and to challenge the notions that many people have regarding what is possible for him to achieve.

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The decision to die by suicide is perhaps one of the most tragic possible outcomes of a person’s life. And while society at large has expanded its understanding and open mindedness regarding mental illness, stigma is certainly still quite high. Many still refer dismissively to suicide attempts as mere cries for help, and when someone does kill themselves, they are then often labelled as selfish and weak. Josh Rivedal has spoken about mental health and suicide across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia. He joins the podcast to share his personal story and family history of mental illness and the insights he has learned.

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"Diamonds are Forever" was a slogan used by De Beers to help turn the diamond into a symbol of everlasting love. It is now estimated that up to 80% of diamond rings have a diamond in them. In the first part of this episode, Zale tries to break down the very expensive custom of the "diamond ring proposal" and evaluate the logic behind it. In the second part of the episode, Professor Roy Maconachie joins the podcast to shed light on the ethics of the diamond industry itself and the injustices and hardships faced by those at the bottom of the supply chain.

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