Asynchrony Podcast

About Asynchrony Podcast

A podcast featuring regular discussions between a bleeding-heart liberal and a three-time Trump voter. We explore where our perspectives diverge and where they come together. If you are expecting name calling and acrimony, this might not be for you. If, however, you want to better understand the divisions that are causing so much stress in our world today, then you might feel right at home. Subscribe today to join the conversation and help us be a part of the solution rather than a reason for the problem.

Publisher

Kevin Shively and Dean Bagley

Category

news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Feb 2026

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Episode 39 - Symbolic Racism - The Self-Sealing Loop

   Kevin Shively and Dean Bagley continue their conversation about polarization, identity, and race in America. They explore how disagreements can stem from using different definitions of racism, and how in-group and out-group dynamics shape the way people interpret research, policies, and one another. The conversation also looks at symbolic politics, broad identity labels, and the challenge of distinguishing attitudes from behavior. Kevin and Dean close by emphasizing the value of cross-cutting identities and continued conversation, and preview a discussion about supremacy. Chapters 0:00 Season update and the episode’s focus 1:10 How the podcast’s questions develop as new research emerges 2:22 Identity as a source of disagreement3:30 Polarization and political parties becoming enemies 5:14 Civil rights legislation and perceptions of racial hostility 6:45 Changing attitudes toward interracial and interparty marriage 8:05 Two different definitions of racism 11:12 Looking for explanations beyond individual intent 12:35 Symbolic politics and in-group/out-group dynamics 13:37 The Robbers Cave experiment and group hostility 15:33 Symbolic racism and System 1/System 2 thinking 17:36 How socialization shapes political symbols 18:05 School busing and symbolic attitudes 20:20 How researchers measure racial resentment 22:32 The overlap between those measures and conservative ideology 26:31 How accusations can reinforce in-group/out-group conflict 27:57 White identity and group boundaries 29:29 Political labels as team colors and identity markers 30:16 How people adopt views from their in-group 33:25 Broad categories and differences among cultures 37:07 Leaving room for doubt when judging people’s motives 38:45 Why understanding another person’s framework matters 40:16 Aesthetic versus structural explanations 41:24 When labels and symbols shut down discussion 43:06 The difference between academic definitions and public usage 47:19 Gaps in research on racial resentment across political groups 48:41 Moral licensing and communication across racial lines 51:52 Projection, purity, and out-group blame 53:23 How partisans create caricatures of the other side 54:38 Tribalism, belonging, and survival 55:10 The use of broad identity labels 59:53 Testing policy principles by switching beneficiary groups 1:03:25 Attitudes versus behavior in discussions of prejudice 1:06:15 How polarization can lead to dehumanization 1:08:58 Cross-cutting identities and political animosity 1:10:29 Social identity as a driver of conflict 1:12:43 Status, credentials, and political identity 1:15:21 Populism and people’s sense of being unheard 1:16:28 Shared identities and the ability to maintain difficult conversations 1:18:10 Why continuing the conversation matters 1:20:03 The upcoming Heavy Frequency Podcast crossover Support our work by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast (https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast) and get access to detailed analyses for every episode.

2. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Episode 38 - The Identity Stack - Mega-Identities

   This episode continues the Asynchrony Podcast's examination of race and society, but the real focus is how identity stacks form, harden, and start to drive polarization. Kevin Shively and Dean Bagley dig into the difference between aesthetic narratives and structural realities, then use that lens to explain why the left and right often talk past each other on racism. They also compare how identity operates differently on each side, why cross-cutting identities matter for democracy, and how contested definitions of racism shape everything from conversation to law. Chapters 00:00 - Opening the series on race, society, and the limits of this episode 02:48 - Aesthetic layer vs. structural layer in the asynchrony framework 03:50 - Totalization and how organizations or people become self-sealing 04:44 - Identity stacking as a personal version of institutional totalization 06:04 - Centralization, consequence distance, and why race does not explain everything 07:01 - The three questions guiding this part of the discussion 08:14 - Identity binaries, moral judgment, and why the stack matters 09:57 - Liliana Mason, social sorting, and “mega identities” 11:20 - Why the Republican stack is narrower and more homogeneous 13:08 - Why the left appears more identity-focused in practice 14:39 - Coalition logic on the left and why categories multiply 16:01 - Why white identity used to be largely invisible by default 18:18 - How European ethnic conflict shaped the idea of “white” 20:31 - Why the left must consciously manage identity categories 22:14 - Race, gender, sexuality, and education as left-side stack markers 24:23 - How ordinary consumer choices become political symbols 25:45 - Why stacked identities make every challenge feel personal 27:28 - Cross-cutting cleavages and why they stabilize democracy 29:31 - A simpler right-wing stack versus a more complex left-wing stack 31:25 - Progressive stack language and identity signaling in public meetings 32:49 - Cross-cutting exposure and why real conversation lowers animosity 33:33 - Shared background as a practical example of common ground 37:12 - Centralized media, fundraising, and national party branding 38:35 - Engagement incentives as the engine of division 40:22 - What makes an identity high priority in a stack 41:10 - Kimberly Crenshaw, intersectionality, and the academic logic of stacking 47:21 - Place and tradition on the right versus category and status on the left 48:55 - Educated white liberals and the “AWFL” critique 50:37 - Why each side reads the other’s priorities as illegitimate 52:11 - The difference between sincere aims and self-promoting totalization 54:18 - Definition A of racism as individual intent and discriminatory conduct 56:10 - Why equal treatment follows directly from definition A 59:36 - Definition B of racism as structural and systemic hierarchy 1:01:24 - Why the right rejects outcome-based definitions as circular 1:04:36 - How the law uses both equal protection and disparate impact logic 1:06:15 - Why remedial discrimination becomes the next hard question 1:09:18 - Sunset clauses, reevaluation, and exit ramps as anti-totalization tools 1:10:26 - Strengths and weaknesses of both racism definitions 1:12:23 - Why definitions determine burden of proof and what counts as evidence 1:13:29 - Disparate impact as a definitional issue, not just a legal one 1:15:47 - Dean’s concern about causation, correlation, and alternative explanations 1:18:51 - What comes next: symbolic racism, left-wing authoritarianism, and supremacy Support our work by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast (https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast) and get access to detailed analyses for every episode.

3. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Episode 37 - Breaking Down Racism - History and Now

   Kevin Shively and Dean Bagley explore the complex factors behind racial polarization, the impact of historical policies like redlining, and the importance of understanding different perspectives to foster meaningful dialogue. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the discussion on race and polarization 02:03 Kevin and Dean share social media experiences highlighting societal divides 04:08 The concept of identity stacking and hierarchy in political and racial views 07:57 The progressive stack and its influence on societal conversations 12:10 Analyzing public perceptions and misconceptions about race and racism 15:54 The importance of understanding alternative explanations beyond racism 20:04 The role of moral foundations in shaping attitudes towards race 23:57 Historical context: Civil Rights Act and its impact on societal views 28:10 The evolution of the definition of racism and societal perceptions 31:45 The influence of economic factors and resource scarcity on social divides 36:08 The impact of policies like redlining on racial inequality 40:05 Legislative efforts to address systemic racism and their effects 44:02 The importance of dialogue and understanding in bridging divides 47:48 The role of in-group and out-group dynamics in social perception 51:51 The influence of moral and cultural frameworks on attitudes 56:03 The importance of examining structural causes and incentives 01:00:06 The impact of economic and social crises on polarization 01:04:00 Theories of group behavior and resource competition 01:08:11 The concept of zero-sum thinking and its societal effects 01:12:13 Understanding the role of identity and status in social conflicts 01:16:01 The importance of open dialogue and avoiding moral judgments 01:20:03 Conclusion: Moving towards understanding and constructive conversations Support our work by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast (https://www.patreon.com/c/AsynchronyPodcast) and get access to detailed analyses for every episode.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings