Arts & Culture
Q+A: Why is the United States so polarised?
What are the fault lines that have fractured politics in America? Julian Zelizer has analysed the historical roots of the present-day political turmoil, divisions, and partisanship in the US for his new book Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974.
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What is the ‘Alt-Right’?
After the horrendous attacks in Christchurch, many people understandably have questions about the motives and ideology of the alleged attacker. Damon Berry analyses the role the alt-right might have played in the attacks.
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Q+A: How are political ideologies labelled?
The political spectrum is often a model that puts political ideologies on a scale of left to right – hence why we hear the term ‘left-wing’ and ‘right-wing’. The terms date back to 1789 and the French Revolution, when radicals sat on the left side of the National Assembly, the aristocracy on the right. But how are political ideologies labelled and how are political spectrums formed?
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Where is the music industry’s #MeToo movement?
Sam Smith explores why a #MeToo type movement has not taken off in the music industry to the extent it has in the film industry.
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Q+A: How influential is the presidency of the United States?
How much does the U.S. presidency matter for the direction of the United States, and for the rest of the world? Maria Armoudian speaks with William F. Grover and Joseph G. Peschek about the power of the U.S. presidency and what they term the “unsustainable presidency.”
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How does culture affect mental health? 🔊
How does culture shape our understanding and treatment of mental illness? Maria Armoudian speaks with Roberto Lewis-Fernandez, Tanya Marie Luhrmann, and Andrew G. Ryder about culture and its impact on mental health.
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How does the media weaponise far-right conspiracy theories?
Heather Woods and Leslie Hahner discuss how mainstream media helps to weaponize far-right conspiracy theories.
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Should looted artefacts be returned to the cultures that made them?
Returning looted artefacts will finally restore heritage to the brilliant cultures that made them according to Mark Horton.
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Broken survivors: With them through hell
The thousands of New Zealand men who fought in the First World War went through hell. And right beside them was another fighting force. Anna Rogers explores the story of New Zealand’s medical services in WWI.
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Q+A: Artists, Israel, and BDS: To play or not to play?
Sam Smith spoke with Mark LeVine about the impact of the BDS movement and the ongoing issue facing musicians on whether or not they should perform in Israel.
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Was the slave trade ever really abolished?
Slavery was never abolished – it affects millions, and you may be funding it as Catherine Armstrong explains.
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125 years of women’s suffrage: A small country leading the world?
Raewyn Dalziel, Emeritus Professor of History, celebrates a moment when New Zealand was at the forefront of world-leading reform.
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Is protecting heritage a human right?
Is protecting heritage a human right? George Nicholas looks into the responsibilities and concerns about the political, ethical and social dimensions of archaeological research and heritage management.
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Q+A: Remembering Chile’s 9/11: What happened, and how do we know?
On September 11 1973, Chilean president Salvador Allende was toppled destroying the longest standing democracy in Latin America. How much do we know now about what really happened in Chile in what is considered the ‘Other 9/11’?
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Killing orders: what are the facts of the Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s long-standing denial? ▶
In a lecture given at the University of Auckland, Taner Akçam talks about his new book “Killing Orders,” a book which brings to light documents that show the Turkish Government did order the Armenian Genocide.
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Facebook isn’t cool anymore: what killed it?
Claudia Russell looks into why Facebook is not cool anymore.
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Can you be Christian and support the death penalty?
Matthew Schmalz explores whether it is okay to be a Christian and support the death penalty.
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How rising seas are threatening our cultural heritage
As climate change encroaches, our heritage is drowning according to Patty Hamrick.
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Q+A: Fight the power: exploring the connections between music and politics
Music and politics have always had a strong relationship going back to the days of the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war movement, and campaigns to combat racism. These days, artists such as Childish Gambino are pushing the boundaries visually and musically when it comes to using their art as a political vehicle. Sam Smith spoke with Patrycja Rozbicka about the intersection between music and politics.
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In the face of censorship, can pop music still be political?
After the recent success of American artist Childish Gambino’s music video “This is America,” Patrycja Rozbicka explores whether pop music can still be political in the face of censorship.
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