A Determined Society

A Determined Society

4.7 (15.6K) · SOCIETY & CULTURE · UPDATED WEEKLY

Examining the systems, structures, and stories that shape our collective future — one conversation at a time.

The Housing Crisis Has Solutions

The Housing Crisis Has Solutions

Dr. Osei talks to urban planners, housing advocates, and city officials about the policy interventions that have actually worked — and why they're so hard to replicate.

Mutual Aid in the 21st Century

Mutual Aid in the 21st Century

Mutual aid networks exploded during COVID and many survived. What the most successful ones have in common — and what they've taught us about the limits of institutional charity.

The Loneliness Epidemic

The Loneliness Epidemic

Surgeon General advisories and viral essays have diagnosed the problem. Dr. Osei talks to researchers and community builders about what's actually being done.

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory Budgeting

When residents vote directly on how public money gets spent, communities change in measurable ways. The global experiment in radical local democracy.

The Care Economy

The Care Economy

Caregiving — for children, the elderly, the disabled — is the invisible infrastructure of society. Why we systematically undervalue it and what changes when we don't.

Building from Scratch

Building from Scratch

Three communities that were devastated — by disaster, deindustrialization, or deliberate policy — and rebuilt themselves using radically different models.

The Trust Deficit

The Trust Deficit

Trust in institutions is at historic lows. Dr. Osei examines the evidence on what rebuilds trust and interviews people doing that work at the local level.

Universal Basic Income: What We Know

Universal Basic Income: What We Know

The accumulated evidence from UBI pilots around the world, what it actually shows about human behavior and social outcomes, and where the policy debate stands.

Hosts & Guests

Dr. Amara Osei

Dr. Amara OseiHost

4.7

out of 5

15.6K Ratings

Gives me hope every week

Dr. Osei focuses on what's actually working rather than just cataloging problems. This is the antidote to doom-scrolling. A genuinely energizing podcast.

ProgressiveThinker · Mar 9, 2026

The sociology podcast I've been waiting for

Rigorous research, compelling guests, and a host who asks the questions academics usually avoid. The housing episode should be assigned reading for every city council member.

PolicyWonk · Feb 23, 2026

Thoughtful and ambitious

Sometimes the policy discussions get dense but Dr. Osei always brings it back to human stories. The care economy episode was particularly powerful.

SocietyWatcher · Feb 6, 2026

About

A Determined Society is the weekly podcast that takes seriously the question of how societies change — and who does the changing. Host and sociologist Dr. Amara Osei interviews activists, policy architects, community organizers, and thinkers who are working to reshape the systems that govern our lives. Serious but not solemn, ambitious but not naive, this is a show for people who believe things can actually get better.

Information

Channel

Independent

Creator

Dr. Amara Osei

Years Active

2020 - 2026

Episodes

190+

Rating

Clean

Copyright

© 2026 A Determined Society

Show Website

—

Provider

Independent

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