The whole first season of Untame podcast Paradigm Shifters is now available. The last ones were published in September. Listen all the six the episodes from Anchor or Spotify (in Finnish, excpet the 4th episode in Finnish and English). Scriptwriting and hosting by Galina Kallio and myself. All episode specific information, such as references, is available here.
Season Paradigm Shifters focuses what kind of thought patterns, institutions, ways of acting and speaking, as well as the practices of producing information that maintain the status quo, ie. ecological crisis and its social effects. It brings together researchers, thinkers, artists, activists and other actors from different fields. Episodes focus on exploring how these different actors strive to shift paradigms in their own fields. This season offers alternative perspectives and examples of how to act differently. It deals with topical but also marginalised topics with a critical approach, in depth and multidimensionally.
In the first episode, Galina and I open up the concept of paradigm and talk about why we are doing this podcast and what kind of themes we shall cover in future episodes. There is already a lot of information about and solutions for ecocrisis, but will anything change if we do not understand the root causes of various crises and impact at them? Music by Verneri Pohjola.
In the second episode University lecturer Sanna Ryynänen and adult educator professor Juha Suoranta, the authors of the book Taisteleva tutkimus, are the first guests of the season. We discuss who are social scientists. Research is also done outside of higher education institutions. We ask, is all research political. What is research as work and activity? In addition, we discuss the criteria for good research. At the end of the episode, we reflect on why building a state of peace in a polarizing world is important. Music by Idän proffa.
In the third episode we have as guests ethnographer and action researcher Marja-Liisa Trux and educator, entrepreneur, and researcher Elina Henttonen. We discuss their work and publications and reflect on working life and professionalism. We explore how everyone can increase self-determination and well-being in everyday life and in their own work. We understand work as a practical activity. In practice orientation, the perspective is close to the actors and their experience and personality are taken seriously. In other words, there is an attempt to take seriously the experiences of the practitioners. Therefore, defining the meanings and goals of work is a matter of well-being. When people can act in a way that is meaningful to them, it increases their well-being. Who gives meaning to the work we do? Music by Aava Uusikuu.
In the fourth episode we discuss the living soil and diverse economy. We discuss solidarity economy, shared economy, post-capitalism and utopias. We ask why the capitalist growth economy system is being increasingly challenged and what alternatives there are to act differently. The episode is bilingual and our guests are Ruby van Der Wekken and Tuomo Alhojärvi, who have worked versatile in the field of social economy. Ruby considers herself a member of the Global Justice Movement and is a producing member of Oma Maa food cooperative in Finland. Ruby is active in various processes around community organizing. Tuomo is from northeast Helsinki, a doctor of philosophy who is fully employed by a nurturing economy, a father on duty at the playground, a geographer, a researcher of diverse economies and a cartographer of post-capitalism. Music by Tuultenpesä.
In the fifth episode we discuss various aspects of land and forest management. We will consider how land management is understood in agriculture and forestry and how land is managed in different ways. Our guest Laura Heimsch is a farmer at Pieni kylä and PhD researcher. She is familiar with land management issues from the perspectives of both carbon sequestration and biodynamic farming. Our second guest, Eeva-Stiina Lönnemo, is a self-sufficient household farmer and one of the driving forces in the citizen movement Meidän metsämme. Land management opens up in different directions as a concept and as an activity. Music by Mystisen naaraan portti.
In the sixth and final episode the topic is hopeless and undesirable ideas. Our guests are two distinguished thinkers and creators of culture, university researcher Karoliina Lummaa and playwright-philosopher Ilja Lehtinen. They both have studied culture in the eco-crisis and written numerous interesting texts on the subject. Together we discuss hopelessness, posthumanism, the Anthropocene, and ways of knowing. Are we sliding towards the collapse of societies or could we imagine ourselves as part of a new multispecies social order? Welcome to dive into the deep end of ideas with us. Music by haapoja & illmari -kollektiivi.
We thank all the amazing guests and musicians who offered their work to be played in the episodes. Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science HELSUS for the funding of production costs and Krash for the production.
Eeva Houtbeckers 