Sound and Social Conflict - with Jan Doering

About this episode

Clare Kumar and Jan Doering discuss the complex relationship between sound and social conflict, exploring its cultural and neurological dimensions.

Jan Doering, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto explores the complex relationship between sound, behavior, and social conflict , unpacking the social, cultural, and neurological dimensions of sound, and discussing how we can move toward a more considerate coexistence in our shared environments. Sound that delights one person can deeply distress another. Clare and Jan explore how our appreciation of sound is deeply subjective and why this gap often turns into tension in urban life. Through examples from everyday environments, they discuss how noise reflects culture, how it can become a form of power and resistance, and why some people respond to it with frustration or even aggression. The conversation challenges policymakers, urban planners, and designers to take sound seriously as an issue of well-being issue and accessibility, highlighting how neurological safety and collective responsibility can help create more peaceful and inclusive soundscapes. Clare and Jan also reflect on the deeper psychological and emotional layers behind how we relate to sound, revealing that finding peace in a noisy world might start with changing how we listen. Jan Doering…

People in this episode

Host: Clare Kumar

Guest: Jan Doering

Topics covered

• sound
• social conflict
• urban life
• cultural dimensions
• neurological safety
• well-being
• inclusive soundscapes

Keywords

• sound
• social conflict
• urban planning
• cultural power
• neurological safety
• inclusive design
• noise
• behavior

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Toronto, National Science Foundation, Fulbright Commission