Can I Have a Word? cover art

Can I Have a Word?

Can I Have a Word?

By: Carl James
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About this listen

Welcome to the brand-new podcast, “Can I Have a Word?”


The “Can I Have a Word?” podcast explores the complex intersection between language and self-identity. Through a nuanced exploration of the words we use, this podcast examines how words inform who we are and how we subsequently navigate through the world as a result. By understanding our individual relationship to language, we will gain more insight into the depths of the human experience and simultaneously create more opportunities to better understand one another.


Hosted by cultural advisor and communications strategist Carl James, this podcast will help you unlock the deeper meaning that lies in the words we use every day. If you are open to exploring the power that language can have in our lives, then this podcast is for you!


This podcast will provide the context and rationale for important questions like:

*How do the words we use shape our personal and cultural identity?

*How does language connect or disconnect us from our cultural roots or communities?

*How do the words we use intersect with specific identity markers, including race, gender, and class?

*How does language influence power dynamics in society?

*What emotional and psychological impact does language have on identity?

*How does a deeper exploration of language allow for a greater sense of freedom, control, and power?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl James Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Home

    Home
    Jun 2 2025

    What does it mean to build a relationship with a place you’ve never lived—but that somehow still lives in you?


    With a nod to exploring the roots of our identity, we examine the notion of "home" through the lens of memory, migration, and meaning. For many first-generation Americans, and particularly for Black Americans navigating the legacy of forced displacement, home is not always a fixed location. It can be a country your parents left behind, a village you’ve only seen in photos, or a continent you feel connected to in spirit but not necessarily in experience.


    In this final episode of the season, we dive into the emotional and cultural work of cultivating an intentional relationship with ancestral homelands—especially when that relationship feels distant, unfamiliar, or incomplete. What customs can you adopt? What stories can you reclaim? And how do you navigate the tension between longing and belonging?


    This episode invites listeners to reflect on the ways we build home—not just in geography, but in practice, memory, and spirit.


    Production Team

    Host/Creator - Carl James

    Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox

    Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins

    Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas

    Music - Yennaedo Balloo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Ambition

    Ambition
    May 19 2025

    What does it really take to chase our dreams? In this episode, we unpack ambition— not just as a goal or drive, but as a mirror. To move forward, we must first get honest about what's holding us back. Join us for a raw, reflective (and at times humorous) conversation on how our mental and emotional health directly shape our ability to pursue our highest goals. Because ambition isn't just about striving — it's about healing, too.


    Production Team

    Host/Creator - Carl James

    Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox

    Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins

    Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas

    Music - Yennaedo Balloo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • (Confirmation) Bias

    (Confirmation) Bias
    May 5 2025

    What do you do when the story you’ve always told yourself…isn’t true anymore? What if that familiar, comforting narrative needs to be refined to reflect your age, growth, or maturity? How do we begin to let go of the assumptions that once shaped and protected us to reflect the person we are today? In this episode, we examine the origin and power of the biases rooted in our past and how they might be holding us back in our present.



    Production Team

    Host/Creator - Carl James

    Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox

    Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins

    Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas

    Music - Yennaedo Balloo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.