The Anonymous Anthropologist Podcast

The Anonymous Anthropologist 332316 Wed, 09 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500 1866 Islam, Muslim, ISIS, hajib, veil, religious extremism, fundamentalism, Donald Trump

A Transgender FAQ for Non-Trans People, wherein I answer the first four questions that people tend to ask when you tell them you are transgender - including the one about "the surgery."

Podcast 16 - The Transgender Anthropologist. In which, at the age of 49, I come out as transgender and explain a bit about what that means.

What is government for? This episode looks at the role of government from an anthropological perspective, across cultures and throughout time. Needless to say, it's to DO STUFF.

What is Culture? While central to the definition of humanity, “culture” itself is notoriously difficult to define. Inspired by a listener question, this podcast covers the rationale for its application to humans alone among all animals.

DNA and the Inheritance of Traits. In this episode, I lay the groundwork for later discussions about "race," sexuality, and a whole host of other topics by explaining the basics of genetic inheritance. In other words, I tell you why your science teacher was wrong when he told you that brown eyes are dominant and blue eyes are recessive.

Homosexuality Isn't a Choice, It's an Option! This episode explains the origin of the term "homosexual" and attempts to place it in historical and cultural context. As it discusses sex and sexuality, it is not safe for work (NSFW) and not appropriate for children.

Guns. In the wake of the Connecticut school shooting on December 14, 2012, it was impossible to talk about anything else. Why do Americans love their guns so much? And why do they shoot them in schools?

Why gender? While sex is determined by biology, gender is constructed by culture and differs, as such, from place to place. Why then do we have it in the first place?

Let's Talk About Intersex, part two. Picking up where the previous podcast left off, this episode discusses the effects of having one too many or one too few sex chromosomes.

Let's Talk About Intersex, part one. This episode explains how the human fetus becomes male or female or, more often than you might think, someone somewhere on the margin between the two.

Let's Talk About the Weather. This episode is posted in tribute to the victims of hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, and all those who are dealing with extreme weather events throughout the US.

The ExMo Files, part two. This episode completes the interview I did with an ex-Mormon friend and his wife. We discuss the political and missionary activities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as well as the impact that Mitt Romney's faith might have on his performance as President.

The ExMo Files, part one: This episode showcases the first half of an interview I did with an ex-Mormon friend of mine and his wife. They define the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a cult, then go on to explain the origin of the Book of Mormon and a good deal of Mormon theology.

This episode tackles the mistaken notion of "survival of the fittest" and its relationship to Social Darwinism, which eventually winds its way toward Ayn Rand and today's libertarian GOP.

Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection was no surprise to scientists of the day; many of them were men of faith who saw evolution as divine action. It is, however, wildly inaccurate to sum it all up as “survival of the fittest,” despite the fact that so many professionals do.

A look at birth control and abortion. Pro-choice or pro-life, a must-listen for all young women!

In the inaugural episode of the podcast, I explain its purpose and perspective.