Habits of the Heart

Category: Civil Rights

  • Can Technology Humanize Us?

    Can Technology Humanize Us?

    In his book Team Human, Doug Rushkoff paints a dire picture of our current predicament: “Autonomous technologies, runaway markets, and weaponized media seem to have overturned civil society, paralyzing our ability to think constructively, connect meaningfully, or act purposefully. It feels as if civilization itself were on the brink… It doesn’t have to be this way.”…

  • My Summer Reading List – 2025

    Every summer I share some of the best books I’ve read (or that are on my reading list). This year, I am sharing a list that is a bit different, one based on concepts/ ideas that are relevant, to understand, rather than recency of publication. Here goes: Welfare: book – Arguments for Welfare. Paul Spicker:…

  • Interview with Dr. K.T. Connor on ethics and public life 

    Dr. K.T. Connor was a Senior Adjunct Professor with the MPPA program until recently, for over a decade and brings a wealth of experience in ethics, business as well as public leadership. She served as the Managing Director of Applied Axiometrics. She is the head of a virtual collaboration of consultants using decision-theory-based assessments in…

  • What does it mean to run an “efficient,” government?: Some quick thoughts…: Part 1

    Efficiency is good when you are ordering a pack of batteries on Amazon (which I did, just a few hours ago), but not when you are seeking better social outcomes like greater inclusion, democracy or economic justice/protection. Efficiency has an angle of lean. A direction, a purpose and a vision. When we say we want…

  •  Books you should read this summer, to understand our world…

    If you have been paying attention to what is going on in our world, you will realize that a LOT has changed in the past year. Both domestically as well as internationally, politics, society and social movements have thrown a lot of surprises (and disappointments) that have called into question the role of institutions, individuals…

  • Should local governments get involved in global issues?

    During a recent commute from home to work, I tuned into LAist, and heard a question that prompted me to bring it up, more than once, with several people. It is this: Should local governments get involved or weigh in, on global issues? This was prompted by the City of Pasadena’s resolution of Ceasefire in…

  • How does tourism promote development? – Part 2

    Two models of eco-tourism The past ten days have been extremely educational for many reasons, one of them being in increasing my understanding of eco-tourism. I traveled to Ecuador and witnessed first-hand two models of eco-tourism that are markedly different, but offer incredible insights into how this form of tourism can aid in development as…

  • How to help the people of Syria and Turkey – without breaking rules around U.S. Sanctions?

    By now, it is increasingly becoming clear that the earthquake that impacted Syria and Turkey on 6 February, is a massive humanitarian disaster. This crisis like others in war-torn and conflict zones is unique in that American aid cannot reach the potential beneficiaries, with ease.  For those Americans who want to donate to NGOs, or…

  • Why more grad students should study/ travel abroad in 2023

    I took a small group of students to Tijuana, Mexico in December 2022. We visited the “most dangerous city in the world,” and a city that is often associated with crime, violence and all negative stereotypes, to learn about migration and the “migrant crisis.”

  • Have you learnt your crisis communications lessons, yet?

    Covid-19, economic recession of 2008, 9/11 attacks and a great many other events should have taught us one thing: crisis management. I firmly believe that if you have been paying attention to these events then you’d have picked up at least a few lessons in crisis management/ communications along the way. If you haven’t, no…

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