Episode 38: Lucía Martínez Valdivia, Unifying and Divisive Identities

Published: Nov. 14, 2018, 11 a.m.

An interview with Lucia Martinez Valdivia, assistant professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Chris talks to Lucía about how to use and misuse the concept of identity. We’ll discuss how people have multiple identities that go beyond what a college typically asks students to focus on. And Lucía explains how the identity of student or learner can unify the students on a college campus. Timeline 0:00 Intro and the humanities course 9:17 A hierarchical identity vs. many identities per person 12:40 Evolution, genes, and the sociology of health 15:36 The “diversity quota” and diversity as a commodity 20:10 What to do if a student feels excluded 24:56 A course on happiness Links * Lucía on Twitter * Transcript of a lecture by Lucía to incoming students about the study of the humanities * Professors Like Me Can't Stay Silent About This Extremist Moment, Washington Post op-ed by Lucía * Humanities 110 at Reed College ... See the full list of episodes of Half Hour of Heterodoxy >> Transcript Here is a transcript of the episode.