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Why Meaning Matters is a weekly podcast series that explores how meaning shapes our experience and sets our expectations. When meanings shift, our economic, political and cultural landscape shifts along...
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Why Meaning Matters is a weekly podcast series that explores how meaning shapes our experience and sets our expectations. When meanings shift, our economic, political and cultural landscape shifts along with it.
Cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and Motivbase President, Jason Partridge will tell you perception and meaning are the primary pressure points that shape and create the world we live in.
show less
Cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and Motivbase President, Jason Partridge will tell you perception and meaning are the primary pressure points that shape and create the world we live in.
Why Meaning Matters
Why Meaning Matters
The Future of Menstrual Health - The Meaning of Human Hygiene
1 APR 2022 · We’re wrapping up season two with a conversation about the changing meaning of menstrual health and hygiene that demonstrates just how connected we all are. In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal talk about what hair ‘down there’ and free bleeding mean to today’s consumers including toppling the patriarchy and environmental impact. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. There's an aspect of menstrual health that is seeing a change right now and it's what women consider to be “basic hygiene”. That includes pubic hair and its associated notion to the lack of hygiene which bears no scientific reality. UJWAL [00:05:41] “It's a patriarchal expectation and it's certainly a problem in culture and it's being challenged.“ The media portrayal of being completely bare from 20 years ago is being challenged by women raising important questions and pointing out the purpose of pubic hair. JASON [00:07:34] “There is a purpose for why our bodies are a certain way. And when we mess with it, it messes us up. And that starts to basically be a pushback against the expectation. And that's where expectations start to change.“ Social media is playing a role in the discourse and facilitating circulation of the free-bleeding movement and greatly impacting the feminine hygiene space with new product lines. UJWAL [00:09:57] “They're amazing products now that are specifically built for, let's say, heavier flow days that are period underwear that are genuinely ten times more comfortable, and we can see consumers talking about this, but there's a symbolism around that, right. Which is that, the symbolism is, this thing isn't hiding the way it used to be and the other symbolism is that this is actually better for vaginal health. And so that makes a huge difference.” JASON [00:12:28] “And that in and of itself is basically creating different narratives and different tensions and challenges in what is the right thing to do.” Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Quality of Life - The Meaning of Cell Phones
24 MAR 2022 · Consumers are tethered to their smartphones everyday but what are the culture dynamics at play? In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal put down their smartphones to talk about the myths and changing meaning of cell phones. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. While MotivBase is studying the meanings around cell phones some would say, ‘What is there to analyze? It seems like everyone has one.’ UJWAL [00:02:13] “I think that's the whole point about studying meaning. The unsexy topics become sexy when you examine what they mean because there's always something that surprises us.” Health meanings with respect to cell phones is one of those surprises. Consumers have all the health apps on their smartphones but, in contrast, these phones have been cause for unhealthy behaviors as well. UJWAL [00:03:15] “There's been a lot of lobbying on this. But for the first time we're seeing consumers clearly make that distinction. And the distinction comes through two words, because meaning is all about words and language, and that language is Quality of Life.” Consumers, while addicted, have come to a level of acceptance that smartphones are a part of who they are. JASON [00:05:12] “Now I've become this person that has almost become somewhat of a creature that is partially the phone and the phone is part of me. And, that in and of itself is something that I readily accept because it allows me to thrive at so many things that I couldn't thrive at previously.” Additionally, there is social capital in the narrative around cell phone usage. That is, there is a distinction developing between appropriate and inappropriate usage; an emerging form of cell phone etiquette. UJWAL [00:07:47] “There's so many little moments now let's call them millions of little micro moments that are happening every day with our cell phones. The point is, do you use it to enhance your quality of life, to solve problems, to be present in the moment, to live a healthier life? Or, do you use it to, actually, to the detriment of your quality of life?” Equally mind blowing is the distinctions that consumers are making on the role of artificial intelligence (AI), their phones and the roles that the companies producing these devices are playing. UJWAL [00:11:30] “What's interesting to me again, is the consumer’s making a distinction. The consumer does not want to fake creativity. The consumer wants the technology to help them become more creative. Let me rephrase that. Help me learn to be more creative.” UJWAL [00:12:58] “And of course there's an entire industry of human centric design that is built around these design principles. How do you design to teach people things? And, so this has already been done in a zillion industries. I think it's just a renewed focus. It's a different way to approach the use of the technology itself.” In the next episode, our hosts wrap up season two with a conversation about menstrual health and hygiene. Stay tuned for episode twelve, season two finale of Why Meaning Matters. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of “Big Cannabis” - The Meaning of Cannabis Culture
24 MAR 2022 · In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal continue the conversation on the myths and meaning of cannabis use in today’s Western culture including the newly prominent work from home lifestyle, perception and consumer buying power. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. In season one, our hosts discussed how ideas start as myths in culture which eventually become truths when enough people agree or build consensus on that myth. Cannabis culture is no exception. UJWAL [00:03:06] “I think there's something very interesting there because the myths around it are especially exacerbated by the fact that now we are going into a culture where we're saying it's okay to work from home.” For cannabis companies, not only does this mean legitimizing and selling cannabis products, it also means tackling the threat of newly developing myths such as work-life balance and productivity when working from home. JASON [00:04:40] “You know, now it's this idea of killing productivity, which while at the same time is a little bit less dramatic potentially of some of the embellishments that happened in the past. But in some ways it's more dangerous because you know, what is really interesting is that the more a myth is easy to understand and the more a myth is easy to identify as something you can relate to, the more sticky it can be” How cannabis use continues to be represented and perceived in media and pop culture is that of unproductivity and a disconnect from science. UJWAL [00:07:55] “So if you're a cannabis company, you have gotta be freaking out right now, because on one hand, everybody started to throw money at cannabis and it's not yielding the way it was supposed to yield. And on the other hand, I have not seen a single example of a cannabis company, a cannabis brand that has found a way to build a proper legitimate brand out of this. It's a mess.” Comparing the subcultures built around the role of alcohol and smoking as facilitating productivity while cannabis continues to be linked to a notion of laziness. JASON [00:10:05] “Again, alcohol has the aperitif. It's sophisticated, right? Like what is cannabis’s aperitif?” There remains large groups of consumers who don’t believe in what “Big Cannabis” is doing and prefer to stick with underground sources where legitimacy has been built over time. JASON [00:11:27] “If cannabis wants to make inroads with those groups of consumers, they also have to figure out what authenticity means with those consumers. Otherwise, they're going to constantly be at odds with each other.” UJWAL [00:12:15] “The definition of authenticity is different in the context of cannabis for recreation and it's different in the context of cannabis for medical purposes, let's say for pain relief and all that sort of stuff.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, the myths and meaning of cell phones in a world craving authenticity. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Consuming Cannabis- The Meaning of Cannabis Usage
10 MAR 2022 · In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal bridge the connections between sleep and pain to cannabis. They explore the use of cannabis for managing inflammation, how it interacts with other supplements, and how it’s being used on a daily basis for general health and wellbeing. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dig in… Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. As alluded to in the last episode, consumers are looking for a solution for their sleepless nights and for pain relief. UJWAL [00:03:19] “It's seen as a solution for pain and in particular as a holistic solution for pain, because the consumer is becoming more and more aware of the, not just of the opioid crisis in America, but also of the general over-prescription of painkiller crisis in the US.” There is still a cultural hurdle or stigma for cannabis users to overcome however cannabis use for chronic pain and inflammation has become more acceptable in recent years. JASON [00:06:41] “So it's exciting because it really does start to present a really interesting place where something that has been so associated with, again, Matthew McConaughey, ‘All right. All right. All right’, now is basically being associated with, you know, my mother's friend who is really kind of figuring out a way to deal with her arthritis.” Cannabis use now intersects with food, nutrition and supplement culture more than ever before. And consumers are asking smarter questions that may not have been considered in the past. For example, ‘Are my supplements and cannabis doses interacting with one another?’ Or, ‘Could one have a negative impact on the other?’ UJWAL [00:09:09] “So if you're a cannabis company, you may have to think about how to get into the supplement business because those Venn diagrams are getting more and more intertwined with each other. And then on the other hand, if you're a supplement company, you have to think about how to get into the world of cannabis, because those Venn diagrams are getting more and more intertwined.” Consumers are accustomed to the question, “How many drinks do you have per week?” The alcohol industry is also impacted as consumers gravitate towards substances they believe they have more control over. JASON [00:11:59] “I can start to science my dosage. I can think of it more as a medicinal element that helps me basically kind of maintain less stress, as opposed to these other things that I feel are kind of a little bit harder to control.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, from storefronts being high while working from home, we dive deeper into the conversation and myths around cannabis culture. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Sleep - The Meaning of Getting a Good Night’s Rest
2 MAR 2022 · In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal discuss the shifting meaning of sleep. From consumer concern for tolerance to sleep aids and drugs to holistic sleep support and how living with chronic pain impacts sleep.
Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. It seems consumers are desperate for a good night’s sleep and are prepared to try anything to make it happen. But, researchers at MotiveBase are seeing a growing concern for tolerance and long-term effects of sleep aids. UJWAL [00:03:20] “So now suddenly people are realizing, ‘Hang on a second, this is not sustainable for me long-term. I can't be popping certain pills just to help me sleep. I need more natural solutions’.” Exercise, eating habits, screen time, recovery. Consumers have become more aware of the holistic impact of their daily choices that can lead to a better or worse night's sleep. JASON [00:06:19] “So as consumers are thinking more about the holistic choices they're making it's just natural that sleep has risen in the conversation and the narrative because it is so important to how we live our lives, but also how we basically recover from all these aspects of life that happen when we’re awake.” UJWAL [00:07:57] “And the problem is that you will struggle to find a company that demonstrates that today, a holistic approach to sleep in the future, sleep in general, and the impact of sleep on our overall health and wellbeing, … because all the solutions are targeted solutions.” And with this shift in understanding the interconnectedness comes the developing connection of sleep and pain particularly for those living with chronic pain. UJWAL [00:10:40] “The consumer realizes that, ‘Hang on a second. If I'm living with pain, that too bears a connection to sleep.’ And again, it's a chicken and an egg, right? I don't know what comes first but the point is that it bears a connection.” This presents a tension of sorts amongst consumers. JASON [00:11:16] “Where on one side of the equation, we've got a group of consumers that is realizing that we can't just be reactionary. Right? We can't. Take a pill to solve a problem.” JASON [00:12:03] “Now the tension on the other side is there is a group of consumers that are reacting because they are trying to overcome this notion of pain and they're exploring, and they're looking for new types of solutions.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we take a closer look at one of the solutions that is creating a huge wave in the area of holistic health application. Cannabis. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Oral Care- The Meaning of Healthy Teeth
24 FEB 2022 · In today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal discuss the meaning of premium oral health. There are three areas that consumers and companies in the oral care industry are concerned with: sustainability, formulation or ingredients, and ease of use. Consumers are overwhelmed by the options in the toothpaste aisle. Major companies have struggled to improve their margins. It goes to show that there is a cultural gap somewhere and MotivBase is exploring what it all means. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. To the consumer, sustainability in the context of oral health means zero waste. And not just zero plastic waste. UJWAL [00:04:19] “So zero waste is not just reducing waste, which is the obvious but in the consumer's mind it means being minimalistic. Yes, I know that's not technically zero waste, but that's why we study meaning.” JASON [00:05:15] “[W]hat you're kind of alluding to right now is that, even as people are thinking about the role of, you know, caring for oneself or taking care of one's teeth, they're looking for better solutions, but less solutions with less to clutter the environment, because at the end of the day that says something about how they're choosing to live their lives.” From outer packaging and presentation to product formulation, we’re starting to see all the do's and don'ts of the food industry show up in oral health and the oral care aisle. It’s simply par for the course now for a product to be considered premium in oral health. UJWAL [00:07:38] “...not only is it innovative, it also does not have all the don'ts right? Whether it's preservatives, sugars, harm to animals, all of that stuff. It has to be a combination. You can't just do one of them and go, ‘yep, this is premium’. Toothpaste. Tooth brush. Floss. Mouthwash. Teeth whitening. The list goes on. One thing is crystal clear, there's a complex set of considerations that are going into place every time we walk down the oral care aisle. And it has to be as simple and as easy as possible. JASON [00:12:45] “All of these things are kind of a toolkit that we're building and we're assessing each and every one of these components as we put together our Batman utility belt of oral care for each of the members of our family.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we move from the bathroom to the bedroom to dissect the cultural meaning (and challenges) of getting a quality night’s sleep. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Cow Farts and Climate Change - The Meaning of Methane
16 FEB 2022 · Erin, Jason and Ujwal have tackled some heavy topics up to this point but in today’s episode of Why Meaning Matters, they discuss the topic to end all topics: Cow farts. Join giggling children everywhere as they dive into the meaning and value we place on methane and climate change. Consumers have been led to believe that grass-fed tastes better, is better for your health and is better for the environment, often paying a hefty premium for grass-fed products. As it turns out, that’s only partially true. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. What we're now discovering is a grass diet promotes increased methane gas production; a huge problem from an environmental justice and climate change standpoint. UJWAL [00:04:31] “So if you're one of those people that's trying to be environmentally sustainable, suddenly one discovers that, ‘Hey, all this symbolic capital, all this symbolic currency that we had thrown towards grass-fed, we're taking some of that back and we're checking it back towards grains.” There is some truth, and a gourmet chef will agree, grass-fed tastes better. But, as flavor and animal welfare remain culturally meaningful, the meaning of methane is becoming more important to consumers at a very fast rate. JASON [00:09:05] “So, as this becomes more and more kind of dominant in culture and more people become aware of it, does this shape a new benefit? Does this shape a new reason to believe in a brand or a product because they are ahead of the curve in solving for this [methane] problem, which separates them from all the other beef products that are on the market?” According to MotivBase research, culturally, cows and beef consumption aren’t going anywhere. So, what does the future of farming look like? UJWAL [00:09:54] “I think Erin, the key here is where we're headed toward, and this is already happening from a technology standpoint, we're headed towards carbon-neutral farms.” And for the individual consumer who is looking to have an impact the approach can be similar. For example, composting is one way to influence the environmental outcome. UJWAL [00:12:12] “So a very direct relationship there in terms of what I do in my home and what the farm does because it's pretty much the same thing in a way.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we open wide to explore the meaning of healthy teeth and oral health Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Meaning of Wellness and Altruism - A Case Study
9 FEB 2022 · In this episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin invites Jason and Ujwal to discuss the results of a report produced from a recent partnership with Nielsen IQ where MotivBase was tasked with decoding the implicit meaning of altruistic purpose when it comes to health and wellness. What is altruism in the context of wellness? Fundamentally, when it comes to our health and wellness, it’s a human being’s recognition that, for our own betterment, for our own mental health and physiological health, people also need to do things with others in mind. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. The research in partnership with Nielsen IQ took place in both the US and the UK and the results of the case study might surprise you! The first revelation? Americans are far more altruistic than the British, when it comes to health and wellness. UJWAL [00:03:13] “I was actually surprised by that, especially given all the, I don't know, dismal news that we hear every day, right. Coming from the states. I was surprised by that. I think many of our clients are surprised to see that as well.” Embracing other’s need for health and wellness is becoming more prominent in culture. Take mental health in sport, for example. JASON [00:05:51] “[Football] is one of the most American of sports. And meanwhile, you've got these icons of the sport talking about their full support and starting to reveal themselves issues they've had with depression, starting to reveal issues themselves that they've had in regards to not having supports back in their day and how we need to change things and how we need to be able to understand and take care of ourselves.” Made clear by the research study, this is also the case in the context of elderly care, both in the US and the UK, as has been highlighted throughout the pandemic. UJWAL [00:07:32] “... and that's part of the altruist purpose is, ‘How do I help the older members of our society thrive?’ Their job isn't to survive. Our job isn't to help them survive. Our job is to help them thrive.” The results of the study showed a clear distinction between the British and American approaches to helping the elderly thrive yet, fundamentally, the meanings are the same. UJWAL [00:09:22] “In the UK part of it, the consumer just sees their job as just showing up. You know, part of it is, if I have a grandmother in elderly care, I just need to show up. In the US it's a bit more involved in the sense of, ‘How do I volunteer?’ Maybe I take somebody to the bank because they need to run an errand. Maybe I run errands for them.” On the thread of living with dignity, for the elderly and other marginalized communities, is the notion of healthy eating for all and improving access to quality food sources. JASON [00:12:07] “If we don't solve to help people have access to healthy food it has an impact on the health system. It has an impact on us as a collective and a society. It has an impact on how we get along together. It pulls apart the social bonds that basically are holding us together. So we need to be more aware of these and we need to work better together to solve these problems because it will make my life better as well.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we take a fun, yet serious, side shuffle on the topic of nutrition and turn to that of cows and agriculture. To read the full report referenced in today’s show click HERE. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about.
The Future of Skincare - The Meaning of Healthy Skin
2 FEB 2022 · In this episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal explore what it means to have healthy skin in today’s society. MotivBase and folks in the skincare industry have been tracking and waiting for the meaning and importance of skin health to become mainstream and now it has! Our hosts make the connection between wellness and skin health through deep healing, achieving balance and embracing imperfection and why that’s important to the industry moving forward. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. In a COVID world, we find ourselves under a microscope. The actions that we take are representative of how well we are and how well we are has become a status symbol. JASON [00:04:57] “So as people are going through this process where they're reassessing health, it is coming forward and presenting itself directly in relation to skin, because at the end of the day, that's really kind of one of the first things that people see when we come into contact with them.” The average level of knowledge of the consumer in various areas like food, skin health, and well-being has increased through the pandemic bringing key topics of skin health to light. UJWAL [00:05:58] “...I think this is very interesting because on one hand you've got things like deep healing, which is inside out. On the other hand, you've got this notion of balance, which is really how I look on the outside is a reflection of how I am on the inside.” What does the meaning of healthy skin look like through the lens of feminism and how women in particular are presenting themselves? It looks like juggling and weighing out the options, like wearing makeup versus showing up in workout gear on a business video call. UJWAL [00:6:49] “And so one of the areas that's also coming up in the mix here is this whole notion of embracing imperfection. So, in the middle of healing from the inside and achieving balance is also this notion that there is such a thing as imperfect balance.” JASON [00:09:36] “The balance is starting to shift a little bit. Because at the end of the day, there's something that is becoming a little bit more pertinent and important than some of the old triggers that may have been a way of showcasing one's value through how they look.” Embracing imperfection isn’t models with slightly different body types wearing your company’s clothes. Ujwal and Jason say embracing imperfection is next level and brands, particularly in skincare, need to take note. UJWAL [00:11:30] “What we're talking about is maybe if you know, I have a little bit of crow's feet under my eyes. I don't need to go crazy, hiding all of that to make myself somehow feel youthful.” JASON [00:13:11] “It's not enough just to think about these consumers as a canvas that has been painted upon to create a completely new image. There is more subtext to the consumer than there ever has been before.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we tackle the meaning of Wellness and Altruism by looking at a MotivBase case study. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
The Future of Community Immunity- The Meaning of Infection and Disease
27 JAN 2022 · In this episode of Why Meaning Matters, we shift our conversation from the exterior of home and fashion to the interior of the human body as Erin, Jason and Ujwal explore the changing meaning and consumer understanding of infectious disease. Infection and disease has been seen by North Americans as an ‘other’ problem. But, triggered by a global pandemic striking close to home, that cultural meaning is changing by leaps and bounds. Listen in as we discuss consumer awareness of immune health and the inequities associated with it. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. While the knowledge of immune health has grown over the last few years, consumers are still very confused on how to improve and manage their own immune health. UJWAL [00:03:31] “People realize suddenly, hang on a second, sleep has a role. Food has a role. My stress levels has a role. So this is truly a holistic approach to immune health, which a lot of us have would have imagined, would have happened sooner. But in many ways, the pandemic has finally brought this culture to bear.” A topic or idea like immune health only has as big an impact as the things people are associating with it. JASON [00:06:20] “It is literally expanded in culture to become more dominant and that's why it's really kind of driving a lot of changes all the way down from kind of how we're thinking about how we live our lives, but also in the choices that we're making and, you know, kind of how we're, we're actually behaving on a day to day basis.” For the first time, the problem of inequity is being highlighted and noticed by the middle and upper middle class consumers in the context of immune health. UJWAL [00:07:23] “If you look at sleep itself, it’s such a privilege in America, right? Because if you look at somebody, let's take a single mother, who's in a lower income household. She's probably working shift jobs and holding three jobs together, barely has time to take care of her kids, can't sleep. How can she improve her immune health?” JASON [00:9:04] “The nation was faced with an existential nightmare and they had to contemplate mortality and they had to think about the role of community and they had to think about, ‘How can we basically make choices that will protect others, which will inherently protect me?’” So, what does it all mean for consumers and retailers who are thinking about community immune health? JASON [00:12:48] “Changes and shifts in the idea of what an infectious disease means is going to change how we buy things.” It also changes policy. UJWAL [00:13:05] “For example, if you hire shift workers, what are small changes you can make to reduce their stress levels, to give them better sleep, to give them better access to health initiatives, to mental health and mental wellness practices?” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we continue our conversation on health and look at the changing meaning of healthy skin and skin care. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!
Why Meaning Matters is a weekly podcast series that explores how meaning shapes our experience and sets our expectations. When meanings shift, our economic, political and cultural landscape shifts along...
show more
Why Meaning Matters is a weekly podcast series that explores how meaning shapes our experience and sets our expectations. When meanings shift, our economic, political and cultural landscape shifts along with it.
Cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and Motivbase President, Jason Partridge will tell you perception and meaning are the primary pressure points that shape and create the world we live in.
show less
Cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and Motivbase President, Jason Partridge will tell you perception and meaning are the primary pressure points that shape and create the world we live in.
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