To the Contrary Season 23 Episode 42 Army Rangers; Vatican & Women; Cultures Without Borders
- February 6, 2015
To the Contrary season 23 episode 42 takes a look at issues surrounding the military, religion and cross-cultural communication.
The first segment of the episode focusses on women joining the Army Rangers, one of the most elite and physically demanding branches of the military. Despite the lifting of the ban on women serving in combat roles, the number of women applying to join the Army Rangers remains low. The show tackles reasons such as cultural stereotypes and the physical demands of the job as contributing factors for why many women are not applying. A panel of guests, including women who have served in the military, discuss the challenges and successes of women in the Rangers and call for increasing numbers of women to join.
In the second segment, the show delves into the relationship between women and the Vatican. The panel focusses on the history of women serving in the Vatican, the challenges faced by those attempting to bring about change within the institution and the future of women's involvement with the Church. The panelists touch upon topics like religious doctrine, women's representation in the clergy and the way forward for the Catholic Church to be more inclusive of women.
The final segment deals with the topic of cross-cultural communication. The episode highlights cultures around the world that are successfully communicating and learning from one another. The panel discusses the benefits of such exchanges, sharing experiences of cross-cultural exchange that they have had, and what the future holds for this type of interculturalism.
Overall, To the Contrary season 23 episode 42 provides a contextualized and informative discussion on a range of topics related to gender, religion and cultural communication. Its panelists highlight several nuances and social issues in religions such as the Catholic Church and Christianity and speak on the history and advancement of women's roles and responsibilities in the United States military. The episode also presents ideas for fostering culture exchange and learning through social support.