Views of Islam Part I: Religious Violence

Last year at this time, especially in the state of Utah, a whole lot of attention was captured by an anniversary. 9-11, the 150th anniversary of the massacre at mountain meadows. By coincidence, we all hope by sheer coincidence, the anniversary has been shared now for seven years by another massacre; one perpetrated in Manhatten, in Pennsylvania, at the Pentagon. Thinking Aloud turns its attention to questions about Islam, the nature of its association with religious violence, and by way of comparison, the connection between ANY religion and the phenomenon of violence. Join us for Thinking Aloud, on the anniversaries.

A Social Critique of Harry Potter

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=8/27/2008

J. K. Rowling has described her Harry Potter series as "a prolonged argument for tolerance." Some may not care too much about underlying themes - as long as they get their quidditch and magic - but one Oxford student presents a compelling case in support of Rowling's social statement. Prejudice in Harry Potter's World outlines the many moments in which Harry, his magical friends, and millions of readers are learning a thing or two about social equality.

Are We There Yet?

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=8/21/2008

BYU professor Susan Rugh has a new book about the golden age of American family vacations - a time of open roads, new cars, cheap gas, and countless destinations. More Americans were seeing more of America. Unfortunately, not everyone was welcome on the road. Rugh also reveals a harsh underside of the vacation at this time, when African Americans were denied food, lodging, and even access to restrooms. The title of the book is Are We There Yet?

Mobile Phones and Forbidden Romance

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=8/14/2008

Romance in Morocco may look like a dream on film but for Moroccan teenagers, romance means straddling the fence that lies between cultural norms and Western influence. In the last decade or so, cell phones have dramatically affected gender and generational relations in the Middle East and North Africa, specifically in Morocco. BYU Researchers published the article Globalization, Mobile Phones and Forbidden Romance in Morocco, in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of North African Studies. They will join us to discuss this increasing rift between globalization and forbidden romance in Morocco.

Pornography and the Internet Generation

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=8/8/2008
Clinical psychologist and licensed therapist Jill Manning offers a tool that will arm youth against the enticement of pornography. Her new book, What's the Big Deal about Pornography? A Guide to the Internet Generation, posits that parents and children ought to be talking about the problem of pornography more, but in very focused ways. Jill Manning joins us for the interview, with Jason Carroll of the BYU School of Family Life.