Generalist Universe

The "Science of Reading" isn't a philosophy or a trend—it is a body of research spanning over five decades. In this interview, Donna Hejtmanek, a veteran educator with nearly 50 years of experience, explains why the dominant "Whole Language" and "Balanced Literacy" approaches have led to a decline in literacy rates and why a shift toward Structured Literacy is a s...

In this compelling interview, Dr. Ashley T. Rubin explains why normativity is not a replacement for theory, addressing how activism is increasingly shaping academic research in the social sciences. Rubin identifies critical issues such as the misuse of jargon, the blurred line between scholarship and advocacy, and the erosion of scientific standards due to ideological pressures. By examining terms...

Are Neo-Traditionalism and Decoloniality Theory alike? In this thought-provoking interview, Dr. George Hull, senior lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cape Town, dives deep into the surprising parallels between these two ideological frameworks. Exploring the concept of epistemic ethnonationalism, he explains how both schools of thought tie knowledge, values, and identity to cultural and e...

Why does violence against women persist in Latin America, even as gender equality advances? In this insightful conversation, economist Caio Huck Spirandelli interviews Dr. Alice Evans, a social scientist at King’s College London, to explore the complex roots of femicide and gender violence in the region. They discuss how factors like inequality, weak state capacity, patriarchal norms, media influe...

Kavish is a doctoral student in the Department of English Literary Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. His research interests include African literature and the history of intellectual decolonization in Africa. He has worked as a culture journalist for many years, most recently as the film critic for the Sunday Times. *** Support the Channel *** PayPal Donation *** References ***...

Dr. Alice Evans is a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Social Sciences at King’s College London and a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto. She is currently writing a book titled The Great Gender Divergence: Why All Societies Became More Gender-Equal, and Why Some Are More Equal Than Others. She has published on topics such as gender, urbanization, drivers of social change, inequality, a...