What happens when gangs step in to provide services for communities that governments aren't able or willing to provide?

David Cerero Guerra joins the podcast to talk about his ethnographic work chronicling the equilibrium local gangs have reached with the government of Colombia in the city of Medellin.

While the primary activity of the gangs is selling illicit drugs which harm the community, they also have managed to ensure the reduction of physical violence and facilitate government services like water and electricity to under served communities.

We chat about the historical and political contexts which allowed for the emergence of such a unique unspoken agreement, and how the government communicates with the gangs without any official channels.

Guest: David Cerero Guerra

You can also watch the episode on youtube

We refer to morality a lot when judging behavior, but what exactly are we referring to?

Emese Havadtői joins us to talk about the structure and emergence of moral frameworks. We chat about whether morality can be understood in terms of behavior, without a universalist understanding of morality, and how evolution plays a role in our drive to behave morally. The debate also brushes up against what it means to be "good" and whether it is understood by looking at individual behavior or if it exists as a truth in the universe.

Guest: Emese Havadtői

Cohost: Maria Federova

You can also watch the conversation on youtube

What is the brain's relationship to information?

Francesco Poli joins to talk about the brain, the mind, and the individual differences that amount to human curiosity.

We talk about adaptivity, how our experiences shape our relationship to information, and what this means for our behavior. We also cover the value of information, dealing with uncertainty as a concept, and the importance of a good learning environment.

Guest: Francesco Poli

You can also watch the conversation on youtube

How do we choose which norms to follow? And how do we change them for a more equitable society?

Camilo Martinez joins to talk about how we learn, communicate, and enforce social norms. We also chat about the historical trajectory of norms, how norms have evolved as society has, and when we can overthrow prejudiced norms which seek to marginalize groups.

Guest: Camilo Martinez

Cohost: Pelin Kasar

To catch more of Pelin, check out Episode 6, Episode 28, Episode 32.

You can also watch the podcast on youtube.

How can we make sense of the variety of beliefs that are prevalent in society?

Peter Steiglechner joins the podcast to talk about the role of identity and group belonging in understanding why people believe what they believe. We chat about modeling belief networks and understanding the role of bias in our engagement with information. We also cover how disagreements emerge and when consensus is possible, and more generally about existing in a group and dealing with a diversity of opinion.

Guest: Peter Steiglechner

Co-host: Ákos Szegőfi

Why do we engage with information online?

Hannah Metzler joins the podcast to talk about the role of emotions and personal identity when investigating the spread of misinformation. We chat about a lot of the myths surrounding misinformation, the circumstances that make certain beliefs appealing to people, and why engaging with negative content is so much more tempting than positive content.

Guest: Hannah Metzler

Monkey Dance Podcast Website

Why do some resistance groups resort to armed struggle? And when do those groups decide it's time to put down arms?

Barbora Valik joins to talk about the factors that can lead to the violent mobilization of resistance movements, particularly as a strategy to call attention to their cause, and what needs to change for the violence to end.

We speak specifically about self-determination movements of indigenous peoples in Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. We chat about how states have many means of suppressing dissent, how they often avoid negotiating with groups they systematically marginalize, and why this can lead to groups struggling to seek leverage by any means necessary, ultimately turning to violence as a tool to gain concessions.

We also discuss why self-determination struggles need to ensure they control their own narrative, and why keeping the groups demands at the forefront of that narrative seems to be a successful strategy.

Guest: Barbora Valik

You can also watch the episode on youtube

Notes from Barbora:

• Socialization = the process through which a movement positions itself within a community of other movements with the goal of emulating, learning, and normatively legitimising certain strategies.
• Group leverage = the capacity of the movement to influence and exert pressure on state actors, deriving from demographic characteristics, broad alliances, organisational capacity, and inclusion.
• Regime type = the nature of the political regime, capturing whether the context within which the movement operates is democratic, authoritarian, or democratising.

For a graph of Barbora's model, visit The Monkey Dance Website