Harry Kreisler welcomes historian Joan Wallach Scott who traces her intellectual odyssey and recalls the impact of the women's movement on her research and teaching. She describes the intellectual influences that led her to write the now classic article, "Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis." She also discusses the utility of critical history for elucidating contemporary policy debates with a focus on her recent book "The Politics of the Veil," an analysis of the political, cultural, and social factors that led to the French ban on the wearing of the veil by Muslim young women...
Harry Kreisler welcomes former Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm for a discussion of lessons learned from her political career. She recalls her formative experiences, analyzes the essential qualities of leadership, and recounts the cascade of crises she confronted as a governor because of the failure of Michigan to recognize and adapt to challenges posed by international economic competitiveness and technological innovation. Leading at a time of structural manufacturing decline, she had to navigate transition to a new economy. Granholm concludes with an assessment of the strengths and...
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes New Yorker writer Jane Mayer for a discussion of her new book, The Dark Side. She explains how, under the direction of Vice President Cheney and his Assistant David Addington,the Bush administration, contrary to American history and tradition, implemented a policy of torture and rendition in violation of U.S. and international law. She describes the resistence within the government and the military to these actions. Mayer also offers a compelling account of what happened to detainees under the Cheney/Addington regime. She also analyzes the long...
Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Hanna Holborn Gray, former President of the University of Chicago, for a discussion of leadership. She reflects on the influence of her parents, her historical studies, the challenge of being the first woman president of a major American university, the values that guided her, the changing identity and mission of universities as they seek to insure equality and excellence, the problem of financing universities without threatening the integrity of research and teaching, and the impact of globalization. Finally, she offers suggestions to students on education and...
Conversations host Harry Kreisler interview Hanan Ashlar for a discussion of Palestinian nationalism and finding a Palestinian voice as a writer and political leader.
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Gro Harlem Brundtland, Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor at Stanford, for a discussion of her lifelong commitment to public service at the national and international level. She traces her intellectual odyssey and recalls her many roles--Norwegian Prime Minister, Chair of Global Commission on Environment and Development, and Director General of the World Health Organization. She also describes the attributes of her leadership: the combination of political skills and scientific training that she developed as she worked to implement a...
On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by writer and editor Eva Hoffman. Their discussion covers writing, the dilemmas of displaced persons, and the challenge of reconciling history and memory.
Conversations with History and Host Harry Kreisler welcome UC Berkeley Professor Eva Harris who discusses her work on the frontier of biological science her efforts to make science accessible, and her activism.
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Eugenie C. Scott, Founding Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, for a discussion of the attack on science especially in the debate on teaching evolution in public schools. Reflecting on the trajectory of her career, she discusses the work of the National Center and its role in supporting the teaching of science through mobilizing supporters in local communities and defending scientific curricula in the courts. She then compares the assumptions of scientists and creationists. The conversation includes her reflections on...
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ellen O'Kane Tauscher, former Democratic congresswoman (1996-2009) and former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs (2009-2012), for a discussion of her career in Congress and in the State Department. After reflecting on her formative experiences growing up in New Jersey and her career in business, Ms. Tauscher discusses the work of legislating, the crisis of the Republican Party, the need for reform in the congressional electoral process, and the role of leadership in preserving the legitimacy of the center...
