Big Thinking Podcast

Picture of the Big Thinking Podcast microphone with a headset                                                                    Latest episodes | Previous episodes | Follow us

From Parliament Hill to your favorite podcasting platform! The Big Thinking Podcast showcases critical research from francophone and anglophone scholars across Canada, tackling the most pressing issues of our time.  

The Big Thinking Podcast continues to challenge and inspire academics, students, policymakers, legislators, and community members with big ideas in the humanities and social sciences by featuring researchers in conversation with our host Karine Morin, Federation President and CEO, sharing their knowledge and insights on today’s biggest topics. 
 

Latest episodes

Headshot of Lisa Brunner

Navigating Canada's immigration and education nexus

In this episode, we’re exploring a topic that has grabbed headlines across Canada over this past year – the cap on international students enrolled in our colleges and universities, and the ripple effect it’s having on higher education and immigration.  

Listen now.

Previous episodes

Headshot of Aliyah Datoo

Congress in Conversation - Part III with Aliyah Datoo (episode in French)

Social networks offer community members opportunities to dialogue and express themselves within these digital platforms, bringing members of the public together in an effort to improve society. In this episode, Aliyah explores the role of community organizations in structuring online discussions within the francophone community in British Columbia.

Listen now.


Headshot of Kshamta Hunter

Congress in Conversation - Part II with Kshamta Hunter

Climate change and the related social impacts have necessitated a re-think of traditional pedagogies. Educators are faced with the challenge to not only engage learners in these conversations, but to support and address the range of emotions and pedagogical complexities that involve socio-scientific realities. In this episode, we delve into a new Climate Education Framework for teacher education.

Listen now.


Headshot of Christopher Dietzel

Congress in Conversation - Part I with Christopher Dietzel

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr facilitate dates, hook-ups, and friendship, but people can experience a range of emotional, physical, sexual, financial, social, and cultural harms online and in person. In this episode we dive into dating app approaches to sustain user safety.

Listen now.


Headshot of Julia Woodhall-Melnik

Redefining the Canadian housing paradigm - Part II

The intersection of climate change and housing crisis in Canada forms a pressing challenge, as extreme weather events become more frequent. Recent wildfires and events like the Saint-John River flood not only jeopardize housing structures but also contribute to displacement and homelessness. In this episode, we discuss the importance of resilient housing solutions. 

Listen now.


Headshot of Nemoy Lewis

Redefining the Canadian housing paradigm - Part I

The Canadian housing crisis is more than a financial challenge; it's a societal concern with deep-seated roots. The crisis has far-reaching consequences: escalating homes prices, limited affordable housing, and the impact of the pandemic have intensified the struggle and exacerbated social inequities. In this episode, we delve deep into the Canadian housing crisis. 

Listen now.


Headshot of Céline Castets-Renard

Artificial Intelligence Law: The importance of fair regulation (episode in French)

In the recent years, AI has been at the center of many debates and discussions, especially in the academic world. As AI is starting to be part of our lives, both professional and personal, it is important to discuss the issues and risks associated with the explosion of these technologies, and how and why they should be regulated. 

Listen now.


Headshot of Armine Yalnizyan

She-cession: unveiling the pandemic's impact on women in the workforce

Historically, most recessions have been described as being "he-cessions"; most jobs lost were male dominated industries, and the women led sectors shortly followed. When the Covid-19 pandemic started, women's employment was hit especially hard by the economic slow down that followed, causing some to call it a "she-cession." But what exactly does the term mean, why did it happen, and what does it tell us about the future of our economy? 

Listen now. 


Headshot of Crystal Fraser

Reconciliation as an everyday practice

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its First Report which documented the experiences of more than 6,000 witnesses who survived living in residential schools as students. Eight years later, it is important to assess what progress we've made and what work remains for us to do in our journey towards Reconciliation. In this episode, we discuss Reconciliation as an everyday practice.

Listen now.


Headshot of Marie-Laurence Raby

Abortion in Canada: How secure is our right?

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court last year and recent bans on abortion procedures south of the border, it is fair to ask what this means for Canada. In this episode, we will discuss the right of abortion in Canada.

Listen now.


Headshot of Lai-Tze Fan

How worried should we be about ChatGPT?

Artificial Intelligence is on the rise, and ChatGPT is one of the most prominent examples of a new technology that is changing our lives. But what do we really know about ChatGPT and how is it affecting higher education and research?

Listen now.


Headshot of Claire Battershill

What is the future of books?

Digital technologies are reshaping every aspect of our society, and books are no exception. But as physical objects, books have a powerful connection to us and our culture. As our world continues changing, it’s worth asking what books mean to us and to our future.

Listen now.


Headshot of Cheryl Thompson

From the Jheri Curl to TikTok: Canada and the global business of Black beauty

Every day we are bombarded by words and images telling us what we should find beautiful, and what we should aspire to look like. Black Canadians are subject to specific beauty ideals – but where do those expectations come from and how do they affect peoples’ lives?

Listen now.


Headshots of Allan Downey and Janice Forsyth

Is sport a means for Indigenous self-determination in Canada?

Sports aren’t just fun and games, they’re a deeper part of who we are and where we come from. Today’s conversation is about Indigenous sport and its connection to self-determination and cultural regeneration.

Listen now.


Headshot of Naomi Lightman

Who cares for the caregivers?

Who cares for the caregivers? is a question too important to ignore especially after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed how our society treats the immigrant care workers we rely on. 

Listen now.


Headshot of Natalia Khanenko-Friesen

What don't we understand about the war in Ukraine?

When Vladimir Putin launched a new military offensive last February, Canada condemned Russia’s actions and support Ukraine. As the war spills into 2023, what should we know about this conflict? What are we to make of the competing narratives about the war’s political, cultural, and historical context? How is our understanding affected by mythology and misinformation?  

Listen now.


Headshots of Terence Day and Thi Kim Thu Le

What will hybrid or online learning look like going forward?

The global pandemic transformed our classrooms, forced instructors to reinvent their teaching methods and accelerated the use of online learning tools. 

Listen now.


Headshot of François Larocque

Is bilingualism in peril in Canada?

With so many developments occurring at various levels of governments on bilingualism and official languages, we wanted to get an expert opinion on the situation in an attempt to answer today’s burning question: is bilingualism in peril in Canada?

Listen now.


Headshot of Carl E. James

How does race shape the experiences, education, and achievement of Black youth?

Today we talk about the question of race and the role it plays in shaping the experiences, education and overall life of Black youth. We are joined by Dr. Carl E. James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education at York University, to further discuss this subject.

Listen now.


Headshot of Madeleine Mant

Are pandemic times really unprecedented?

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after an outbreak of the coronavirus 19 was discovered in Wuhan in November 2019. And on March 11, the situation has been characterized as a pandemic, leading multiple countries around the world to introduce lockdowns to stop the spread of the disease.

Today we talk about the still-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, a health crisis that’s often been called ‘unprecedented.’ But was it?

Listen now.

Big Thinking is continuously growing and adapting to change. If you have any ideas for a future speaker or podcast topic featuring scholars in the humanities or social sciences that you think is a great fit for Big Thinking, contact us!

Submit your idea

 

Special thanks to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and to CitedMedia for making the Big Thinking Podcast possible.

 

Follow us on our streaming platforms for more episodes! 

spotify logo

Spotify

Icon of Apple Podcast

Apple Podcast

iHeartRadio logo

iHeartRadio

amazon music logo

Amazon Music