Education

Feudal Future Podcast — Changing Education and the Power of Tech

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 15:42:06 -0500

What if AI could transform the way we learn, making education more engaging and impactful? Join us as we sit down with Ramit Varma, CEO and co-founder of Breakout Learning, to explore this provocative idea.

Listen on Apple Podcast
More podcast episodes & show notes at JoelKotkin.com

Watch this Episode

Support Our Work

The Center for Demographics and Policy focuses on research and analysis of global, national, and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time. It involves Chapman students in demographic research under the supervision of the Center’s senior staff.

Students work with the Center’s director and engage in research that will serve them well as they look to develop their careers in business, the social sciences, and the arts. Students also have access to our advisory board, which includes distinguished Chapman faculty and major demographic scholars from across the country and the world.

For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, sponsored project analyst for the Office of Research, at (714) 744-7635 or asghari@chapman.edu.

Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalism

Learn more about Joel’s book ‘The Coming of Neo-Feudalism‘

This show is presented by the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, which focuses on research and analysis of global, national and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time.

Why Latino Success Matters

Siyamak Khorrami — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:52:32 -0400

“Unfortunately, Latinos do worse than their Latino counterparts in other states. It’s largely due to a failing public educational system, and also due to increased regulation, mostly environmental.”

Siyamak sits down with Soledad Ursua, a lead author of ‘El Futuro es Latino’, conducted with Chapman University, which looks at how Latinos are doing in California compared to other states when it comes to education, income, and homeownership. We also sat down with Gloria Romero, a former state senator, and Marshall Toplansky, a clinical assistant professor at Chapman University. In this research, he looked at the Latino workforce in California.

“They are the largest number of truckers, laborers, construction industries that are crucial to the growth of California in the future. We’re going to need to rely on Latinos for the next generation of economic prosperity for the state and they’re really not being accommodated with current state policy.”

Watch video:

Siyamak Khorrami is a contributor to California Insider

The Truth About Being Jewish and in College

Hannah Kotkin — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:39:46 -0400

In the summer of 2022, just freshly out of confinement from the coronavirus pandemic, I, along with two hundred others, boarded a plane to Israel, where I would spend the following six weeks of my summer vacation. The trip served as a transitional period for my time spent at summer camp, between being a camper and being a counselor.

Even though I didn’t get the full experience of Israel due to covid safety restrictions, I found my life permanently altered from my stay in the Holy Land. First of all, as a Jew who spent much of my life in a mostly Christian area, the experience of being surrounded by Jewish people who knew and understood the parts about myself that I used to have to explain to everyone around me was unlike anything I can even describe.

The summer was hot and dry and full of music and dancing in the streets. We toured museum after museum, engaged in dialogue with Bedouins, Palestinians, Circassians, and more, and explored the entire country, from the Lebanon border all the way down to the sprawling sand dunes of the Negev. I came home to California five shades tanner and eager to speak Hebrew again.

I carry that summer with me, and still regard my trip to Israel as one of the prime factors in my development into a young Jewish adult. Upon my return, I was so excited to share my experiences with just about everyone I knew. My peers were fascinated with my time spent in the Middle East. They asked questions, sometimes even about the long standing Palestinian conflict, to which I shared my view. Their responses were positive and understanding.

Just a couple years later, after one of the largest tragedies Israel had ever seen, the same people that I had spent so much time educating about Israel went radio silent or, in many cases turned hostile. Following October 7th, I noticed those same people posting on Instagram, saying things like “Globalize the Intifada,” and “From the River to The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free.” What hit me the hardest was the fact that a great deal of these people posting were friends from high school and peers from my college.

At Sarah Lawrence, my university, culture influences political stance. The students tend almost automatically to latch on to a principle of left-wing ideology. The college's most recent fad happens to be Palestinian liberation. In fact, the student body of Sarah Lawrence is so obsessed with this idea of Palestinian liberation that even the school’s one Jewish organization, Hillel, claims that they are not affiliated with Israel, providing Zionist Jews with no community whatsoever.

This isn’t just a student-organized mindset: some professors appear to be just as invested in Palestine, even to the point of excusing the atrocities committed by Hamas. I share their interest and concern for the well-being and safety of the Palestinian people, but Sarah Lawrence, in my opinion, has crossed the line. I knew what I signed up for when I committed to Sarah Lawrence; The school is notoriously radically liberal and not much of a change from my performing arts high school in California. That being said, I still expected an inclusive environment to be fostered by my professors.

The main issues began on October 9th, just two days after Hamas’s attack on Israel. Soon after sitting down for my Sociological Theory seminar, my young professor declared that class that day was optional, and that we were free to leave if we were affected by the events of the past weekend. I, naturally, assumed that my professor was referring to the terrorist attacks, and for the first time since the attacks happened, I felt seen and heard on campus. She then, however, followed with another statement. “In this class,” she proclaimed, “we will not tolerate any colonialist dialogue.” It took me a second to register what she was saying. When I did, I promptly gathered my belongings and left the classroom. At this point, Israel had not even retaliated. I was left wondering- what could she possibly mean?

Later that week, when I looked at the syllabus for the class, I saw that a whole unit dedicated to anti-Zionist rhetoric and Palestinian liberation had been added. To this day, I still wonder what that unit had to do with sociological theory and the works of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. From then on, my professor would frequently remind us of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) meetings (she was the new faculty advisor) and for an extra credit assignment, had us write, specifically, about Palestinian liberation.

My school is now littered in white people wearing keffiyehs. Just recently, there was a drag show for Palestine. Unlike like other schools in which there are Jewish populations and organizations advocating for freedom for Palestine through the eradication Hamas and their goal of obliterating Israel, at Sarah Lawrence, the only safe spaces I’ve made are the ones I carve for myself. I cannot name a single attempt that has been made to create protections for Jewish students.

There seems to be a misconception that Jewish Zionists do not wish for the safety of the Palestinian people. A main tenant of the Jewish religion is to treat all people with dignity, respect, and kindness. Jewish people all over the world are then left questioning why so many, including those we saw as friends, ignore the crimes Hamas is committing and the damage being perpetrated, in their name, among their own people.

----

Hannah Kotkin is a sophomore at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.

Feudal Future Podcast: Exploring the Impact of Catholic Schools on Underserved Communities

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:41:14 -0500

Unlock the secrets of a holistic education that goes beyond academics as we engage with Stephannie Saroki de Garcia, Soledad Ursua, and Tony Lemus, dissecting the profound effects of Catholic school environments on underserved communities in California. Discover how these institutions foster discipline, character development, and purpose, equipping students with the tools to succeed in life. Our conversation with these insightful guests reveals personal success stories and the critical role of parental involvement, along with an educational approach that safeguards against the pitfalls that often undermine public schooling.

Listen on Apple Podcast
More podcast episodes & show notes at JoelKotkin.com

Watch this Episode

Support Our Work

The Center for Demographics and Policy focuses on research and analysis of global, national, and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time. It involves Chapman students in demographic research under the supervision of the Center’s senior staff.

For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, sponsored project analyst for the Office of Research, at (714) 744-7635 or asghari@chapman.edu.

Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalism

Learn more about Joel’s book ‘The Coming of Neo-Feudalism‘

Feudal Future Podcast: Navigating the Future of Higher Education

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:25:33 -0500

Embark with us as we traverse the complex terrain of higher education alongside our distinguished panel—Rick Hess, Justin Dyer, and Dean Andrew Moser.

Listen on Apple Podcast
More podcast episodes & show notes at JoelKotkin.com

Watch this Episode

For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, sponsored project analyst for the Office of Research, at (714) 744-7635 or asghari@chapman.edu.

Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalism

Learn more about Joel’s book ‘The Coming of Neo-Feudalism‘

Feudal Future Podcast: Shaping the Future - Challenges and Innovations in California’s Education System

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:10:58 -0500

Education, the cornerstone of our future, teeters on a precipice of change. Former California State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero and retired superintendent Mike Christensen join us to dissect the intricate web of challenges plaguing California's schools—from the scapegoating of teachers and the undervaluation of family engagement to the contentious rise of charter schools and the debate over the high school exit exam. Their expertise illuminates the tangled tapestry of responsibility and reform needed to empower educators, involve parents, and ultimately, shape our children's destiny.

Listen on Apple Podcast
More podcast episodes & show notes at JoelKotkin.com

Watch this Episode

For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, sponsored project analyst for the Office of Research, at (714) 744-7635 or asghari@chapman.edu.

Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalism

Learn more about Joel’s book ‘The Coming of Neo-Feudalism‘

Feudal Future Podcast: Navigating Cancel Culture

Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 15:35:20 -0500

Immerse yourself in a profound conversation with Sam Abrams and Danielle Struppa as we set sail into the stormy seas of cancel culture on American campuses. Ponder on the essence of freedom of expression, the intricacies of offensive language, and the implications of a trending phenomenon that is reshaping societal narratives. We dissect the potential hazards of a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion worldview that's propagated within our educational institutions.

Our discourse takes a turn towards academic freedom, a principle that could be endangered by personal biases. We underscore the urgency for developing critical thinking skills amongst students, fostering a sense of media literacy from an early age to discern divergent viewpoints. Striking a balance in presenting varying perspectives during classroom discussions is deemed crucial, as we delve into the role of administrators in ensuring this practice.

As we navigate the contemporary education landscape, we confront the challenges posed by decreased student attention spans, attributed to the allure of social media, and the need for instilling factual groundwork within the classrooms. A noticeable shift from a traditional academic standpoint to advocacy is scrutinized, with a focus on teaching students to think independently rather than spoon-feeding viewpoints. Listen in as we explore the role of technology in enhancing student engagement, the necessity of including historical context in the curriculum, and expressing gratitude for the enlightening insights gained through these conversations.

Listen on Apple Podcast
More podcast episodes & show notes at JoelKotkin.com

Listen:

Watch this episode:

Conference: Anti-Semitism, Geopolitics, and the University

New Geography — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 11:17:39 -0400

The Telos-Paul Piccone Institute, in cooperation with the journal Telos, announces a series of events and publications designed to explore the place of critical theory in the response within the American university to the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

When: the online conference will take place January 12-13, 2024, and an in-person conference will in the late spring, organized by Prof. Gabriel Noah Brahm.

For more information about the conference, please visit telosinstitute.net.

History Matters: Audio

Joel Kotkin — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:25:14 -0400

Listen to Joel's recent article:

Read the story here

Even Progressive Voters Don't Like Racial Affirmative Action

Joel Kotkin — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:45:59 -0400

As the Supreme Court moves towards its expected affirmative action ruling, a backlash among supporters of racial quotas is already brewing. One magazine, The Nation, suggests that the lawyer pleading the case for Asian American students is serving the cause of “white supremacy”, while top college presidents, interviewed on PBS, predict that any move to curb race quotas would constitute a “disaster.” Some schools are going a step further by exploring how to get around the potential new law — just as corporations, always keen to please the chattering classes, do the same thing.

Affirmative action is not a winning issue for progressives. Indeed, a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as roughly half of African Americans, say that colleges should not factor race and ethnicity into the admissions process. Asian Americans are even more hostile to the idea: one recent national poll found that four in 10 of the group saw affirmative action as “racist” and more than half welcomed a Supreme Court ruling outlawing it.

The fundamental flaw with affirmative action is that it directly contradicts what the Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal defined as “the American creed” — a notion, too often ignored, embracing equal opportunity for all its citizens. But where the early goals of the Civil Rights movement backed this ideal, the new affirmative action regime embraces race-based discrimination as an unadulterated good.

Read the rest of this piece at UnHerd.

Joel Kotkin is the author of The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class. He is the Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and Executive Director for Urban Reform Institute. Learn more at joelkotkin.com and follow him on Twitter @joelkotkin.