The Asian Ethnology Podcast

The Asian Ethnology Podcast features conversations with scholars, researchers, editors, and practitioners working across anthropology, folklore, religion, media, and Asian studies. Alongside academic ideas and research, the podcast also explores the experiences, encounters, and unexpected moments that shape fieldwork, scholarship, and cultural life.

The Asian Ethnology Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Asian Ethnology / Benjamin Dorman, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Asian Ethnology / Benjamin Dorman hosts The Asian Ethnology Podcast, a society show with 34 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  The Asian Ethnology Podcast

  Developmental Ethics and the Question of “Worthwhile” Development

  —31 min

  In this episode of the Asian Ethnology Podcast, Ben Dorman speaks with Benjamin Huffman about the FIRE Program (First Year Innovation & Research Experience) and its efforts to encourage students to think critically and ethically about development, social change, and human flourishing from the very beginning of their university education. Huffman discusses how the program combines interdisciplinary learning, research experience, and ethical reflection to move beyond narrow economic understandings of development. Drawing on examples from international development, philosophy, and community engagement, he explores questions such as: What makes development genuinely “worthwhile”? Who benefits from modernization and economic growth? And how can students cultivate ethical responsibility in a globally interconnected world? The conversation also examines the role of empathy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding in higher education, as well as the challenges of preparing students to engage thoughtfully with complex global issues. Recorded in conjunction with Huffman’s lecture at Nanzan University, this episode offers an insightful introduction to developmental ethics through the lens of innovative undergraduate education. Link to the Development Ethics Toolkit

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  The Asian Ethnology Podcast

  When AI Trains on Our Books

  —7 min

  An unexpected discovery raises a larger question: how do scholarly books end up in AI training datasets? This episode looks at shadow libraries, academic publishing, and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and scholarly knowledge. This episode reflects on publicly reported discussions about AI training datasets and scholarly publishing.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  The Asian Ethnology Podcast

  Moving Asian Ethnology to Scholastica

  —8 min

  In this episode, Asian Ethnology co-editor and managing editor Ben Dorman discusses the journal's ongoing move to the Scholastica publishing platform and the broader commitment to open access and sustainability that drives it. Asian Ethnology has been publishing research on the peoples and cultures of Asia since 1942, first as Folklore Studies , then as Asian Folklore Studies , and now in its current form. The journal is fully funded by Nanzan University and remains free to read and free to publish in — a genuine Diamond Open Access model. Ben reflects on the motivations behind the transition, including modernizing editorial workflows, improving discoverability, and offering readers content in both HTML and PDF formats. He also discusses the decision to discontinue self-produced print editions, focusing resources instead on digital accessibility, environmental responsibility, and long-term sustainability. The episode highlights the people behind the journal's work and emphasizes Asian Ethnology's continuing mission to deepen understanding of Asia's cultures, promote scholarly exchange, and connect researchers around the world. Background music courtesy of shamisen master Koji Yamaguchi. Used with permission.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  The Asian Ethnology Podcast

  Interview with Peter Knecht, former editor of Asian Folklore Studies – Part 2: Experiences as the journal editor

  —47 min

  Interviewer: Ben Dorman, co-editor Asian Ethnology Recorded 8 June 2017, Nagoya, Japan Peter Knecht was the editor of Asian Folklore Studies from 1980 until 2007. The journal changed its name to Asian Ethnology in 2008. In this extended interview, Peter discusses his experiences working as the editor of Asian Folklore Studies . He talks about when he first encountered the journal working under founding editor, Matthias Eder, and what happened when he took over the journal in 1980.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  The Asian Ethnology Podcast

  Interview with John Powers

  —19 min

  Interviewer: Ben Dorman In this episode, John Powers (Deakin University) discusses an interdisciplinary project involving historians, anthropologists, scientists, and folklorists concerning rivers that originate in Tibet, which play a key role in global hydrological cycles yet are in crises as a result of multiple threats.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Asian Ethnology Podcast. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.