In this podcast episode of Goddess of Technology, we’re exploring one of the most misunderstood and damaging social behaviours that can hide in plain sight across groups, from schools to fraternities, workplaces to military units. We’re unpacking how a practice originally framed as ‘bonding’ or tradition can transform into a psychological and physical threat, ripping apart lives and communities when norms spiral into abuse and ritualised harm.

You’ll hear about extraordinarily heartbreaking cases that reveal the darkest extremes of hazing, including the tragic death of Sanda Dia — a 20-year-old Belgian student whose aspirational quest for community ended in fatal ritual humiliation at a fraternity event, where forced intake of alcohol and fish sauce led to critical harm and death amidst degrading conditions.

Building on that, I’m taking you into the legal aftermath with Matt’s Law — a California statute that broadened felony accountability for hazing when serious harm results, reshaping how societies think about liability and duty.

We’re further examining how hazing manifests in work settings — from psychologically abusive ‘initiation’ tasks to hostile environments that mirror hazing dynamics — grounded in real workplace harassment cases and settlement discussions that show how law, organisational culture and accountability intersect.

By the end of this episode, we’ll understand why workplace bullying and hazing aren’t just a humourous and entertaining rite of passage, but a deep social and psychological phenomenon with tangible, sometimes devastating consequences — and what you can do to interrupt it if you encounter it yourself or witness it in your community. I invite you to reflect on your own experiences and to share your insights and stories through the contact form linked in our podcast description — your voice matters, Goddess.

REFERENCES

• Employee Hazing Harassment Lawsuits — Examples of Workplace Hazing. AtkersonLaw.com.
• Workplace Harassment Lawsuit Settlements: 8 Real-Life Examples. eTactics.com.

In this podcast episode, we’re examining bullfighting as a cultural institution, an economic system, and a business model – while critically exploring its ethical, psychological, and societal implications in Spain and Latin America.

This episode is focusing on how bullfighting is historically framed as ‘culture’, ‘history’, ‘identity’, ‘sports’ and ‘art’ – while operating as a commercial industry that systematically inflicts suffering on animals for entertainment and profit.

I’m unpacking the origins of bullfighting, the power structures that sustain it, the financial incentives behind its preservation, and the growing resistance movements that are challenging its legitimacy on moral, legal, and economic grounds.

You’re invited to reflect on how traditions are protected, how violence is normalized through language and spectacle, and how business interests influence public narratives about culture and identity.

This episode is not about condemnation for its own sake; it’s about developing ethical literacy, critical thinking, and socially responsible decision-making in business and beyond.

Goddess, what do you to ensure that your actions are socially responsible?

I’m warmly inviting you to share your valuable insights them through the contact form linked in the general podcast description.

REFERENCES

• Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (n.d.) Bullfighting. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• Humane World for Animals (n.d.) Bullfighting: A Long, Cruel Death.
• LC Animal Advocates (n.d.) Bullfighting.
• Music: ‘Bummin on Tremelo’ by Kevin MacLeod – CC BY 3.0 (incompetech.com)
• PETA (n.d.) Bullfighting: Tradition or Tragedy?

This Valentine’s Day special episode is intentionally released two days prior to Valentine’s Day on February 14th, while honoring Sant Jordi, which is traditionally celebrated every year on April 23rd, a distinct and separate date in the Catalan cultural calendar.

We’re exploring Sant Jordi, Catalonia’s singular celebration of love and literature, by tracing how a medieval legend evolves into one of Europe’s most intellectually charged cultural rituals. We’re examining how roses and books become symbolic instruments of identity, how public space transforms into a literary agora, and how Sant Jordi operates as a civic expression of emotional intelligence, cultural resistance, and relational values. By connecting myth, history, publishing economics, and social psychology, this episode is unpacking why Sant Jordi continues shaping Catalan society far beyond symbolism, influencing literacy, gender dynamics, urban culture, and Spain’s broader cultural landscape. Stay with me, Goddess, because each layer reveals how culture survives not through force, but through beauty, meaning, and shared ritual.

I warmly invite you, beautiful, to share your reflections and, if applicable, your personal experiences with Sant Jordi via the contact form linked in the general podcast description. Your voice nourishes this community just as stories nourish culture.

REFERENCES

• Amades, J. (1950). Costumari Català: El curs de l’any. Barcelona: Salvat Editores.
• Ascenso Akademie (n.d.). Sant Jordi – Einer der beliebtesten Festtage Kataloniens.
• Barcelona City Council (n.d.). Sant Jordi. Institut de Cultura de Barcelona.
• Generalitat de Catalunya (n.d.). La Diada de Sant Jordi. Departament de Cultura.
• Music: ‘Bummin on Tremelo’ by Kevin MacLeod – CC BY 3.0 (incompetech.com)
• Unexpected Catalonia (n.d.). Sant Jordi: The Festival of Books and Roses.
• UNESCO (2012). World Book and Copyright Day: Origins and Cultural Impact.