Code Switch: What's In A 'Karen'?

Do we owe our parents? Even in the best of scenarios, caring for an aging parent can be difficult and intense. But for those who may have had a complicated, fraught, or even abusive parent-child relationship, caring for the person who harmed them can be triggering. So, what optio ...  Show more

What makes us change – or not change?Change happens to all of us – but what actually happens to us when we change, and how does that change stick? Sometimes there isn't a clear answer, but Benoit Denizet-Lewis, associate professor at Emerson College and author of the book You've ...  Show more

If you've been paying attention to the news over the past couple years, you know what a so-called 'Karen' is: a white woman who uses her race and gender to wield power over someone more vulnerable. But long before most people became familiar with the term Karen, POCs have been ca ...  Show more

She's rude. She's got a bad haircut. And she will, indeed, be speaking to your manager. We've finally arrived at everyone's favourite pejorative, "Karen". The most contemptible lady in America today, Karen has had a bit of a reverse trajectory in popular culture. Hannah and Maia ...  Show more

The word "lady" has undergone a reclamation of sorts in recent years, but it still carries a lot of baggage, thanks to its gender-loaded etymology. Cristen and Caroline get down to the history, use and varying meanings of what it means to be a "lady" today.

Gene and Shereen tackle some Code Switch listeners' questions about race and identity with a voice coach, a professor of children's literature, and two former interns who are now reporters: What's someone really asking when they say "What are you?" Where did the archetype of "The ...  Show more