The Transcultural Lens

In this episode we celebrate women on the move. Women who travel solo and the women who made it possible. We start by discussing why the pandemic has been particularly difficult for all women but in particular the most vulnerable, like migrant women. We explore the difference between wanting to travel and escape your environment and having no other choice. We also touch upon the works of an inspirational pioneer for women's travel writing, Mary Russell (who's work will certainly feature on this podcast once I have mastered time management). Her book "The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt: Women Travellers and Their World" celebrates some of the extraordinary women who made solo female travel possible and some of the (rather hilarious) obstacles they had to overcome while setting out on something as common today as a hike. Happy Belated Women's Day everyone and I do hope you enjoy the episode. Audio editing, logo and other sound magic accredited as always to the show's Sound Guru (aka Chief Sound Editor) John O'Donnell.  Music (intro) Mockingbird (Instrumental) by David Mumford is licensed under an Attribution License. Music (outro) Sidewalk by Jason Shaw is licensed under an Attribution License.

Have you ever felt like you don't belong...well...anywhere? Have you ever felt a deep connection with a place that is not your "home" country? Its customs, people, or even with its language? You’re not alone; I and many of my fellow world citizens feel this way. In this follow-up episode of the season, "Common Ground, Shared Values", here on the Transcultural Lens, we discuss the idea of having multiple cultural identities and how being the "other" forces us to question what we know about culture. We explore how this can have a positive impact on promoting diversity within our communities both locally and globally. We also delve into how being culturally aware is a superpower (yes, for real!) and talk about how you can use this power in your day-to-day life. Grab yourself a coffee and join me in this cultural reflection! Sound, editing and logo design by the one and only, John O'Donnell. This podcast was inspired by this insightful article:  https://possibilitychange.com/cultural-identity/ Music (intro) Mockingbird (Instrumental) by David Mumford is licensed under an Attribution License. Music (outro) Sidewalk by Jason Shaw is licensed under an Attribution License.

Transculturation - noun: a process of cultural transformation marked by the influx of new culture elements and the loss or alteration of existing ones. “Transculturalism is rooted in the quest to define shared interests and common values across cultural and national borders” - Richard Slimbach The Transcultural Journey Have you ever thought about the word culture and what it means? How about transculturalism? In this first episode of The Transcultural Lens we introduce the idea of transculturalism (the idea that culture is fluid and ever evolving rather than fixed and unmoving, or tied to national and political borders). We will talk about why a more “rounded” definition of culture is needed in the current climate and why traditional views of culture are flawed and don’t reflect individual experience. I’ll share some of my own cross-cultural experiences as well as the experiences of others to explore how this can develop a more intricate understanding of what it means to be culturally aware. For more on this topic see: 'Transculturality - the Puzzling Form of Cultures Today', Wolfgang Welsch, 1999 Richard Slimbach 'The Transcultural Journey', 2005 Music (intro) Mockingbird (Instrumental) by David Mumford is licensed under an Attribution License. Music (outro) Sidewalk by Jason Shaw is licensed under an Attribution License.