Refamulating
Refamulating

Refamulating

Feelings & Co

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Episodes

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Refamulating is a podcast that celebrates different ways to make a family. A generation ago, most Americans were guided by the idea of the nuclear family: a mom, a dad, two kids, and a derpy dog. Many still have a family like this, and that’s great! But the numbers show it doesn't represent the majority of American households. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all for what a family should look like. We’re collectively reformulating our understanding of what makes a family in today’s world. We call this refamulating, and this show invites us to understand it one story at a time. On each episode of Refamulating, host Julia Winston delivers emotionally honest stories of real people with nuanced experiences that census data could never tell us. Think queer parents, egg and sperm donors, surrogates, blended families, child-free folks, tales of communal living, and much more.

Recent Episodes

REFAM CHAT: The name dilemma
NOV 28, 2024
REFAM CHAT: The name dilemma
A lot of us refamulating have faced a similar challenge: as we choose a new path or carve out a different role in a family, we realize there is no name for us. A step-parent wants a more warm and loving name. An egg or sperm donor with an emotional tie to the family doesn’t want to be referred to by this clinical title. Or maybe a close friend plays an important role to your kids but isn’t technically an aunt or uncle. On this Refam Chat, Julia and Claire talk about their own struggle with names, and read some of the names you all shared with us on Instagram for your unique family roles. A video version of this episode is available for paid subscribers to our Substack. - Join us for this month’s ReFamily Dinner, where we’re talking about navigating dysfunctional family dynamics. Our guest is therapist, writer and podcaster Whitney Goodman (@sitwithwhit). Come with questions for Whitney about estrangement and the holiday season, boundary setting, disappointment in family, accepting family, in-law relationships, politics, or anything else! This is a free, virtual event on Dec 3. Sign up here!! _ Connect with us:  EMAIL: [email protected].  WEBSITE INSTAGRAM TIK TOK _ Subscribe to our Substack for more refamulating! We write about how refamulating looks in our lives, share resources we’re using as we make this show and share special bonus content for paid subscribers. _ Our team  Host: Julia Winston Producer: Claire McInerny  Manager of Engagement: Grace Barry Audio Engineer: Josh Gilbert Theme Music: Luke Top – We are a member of the Feelings and Co network.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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36 MIN
12 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 2): Communal Living Makes a Family
NOV 12, 2024
12 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 2): Communal Living Makes a Family
Show Notes: What happens when you expand beyond the nuclear family home? In this episode, we meet people who've chosen to share their daily lives with others in unconventional ways - from two married couples buying a house together to raise kids, to a man who's spent 14 years living on a hippie commune. Their stories challenge our assumptions about what makes a successful adult and show how living communally might be an antidote to America's epidemic of loneliness. Additional Resources:  "Everyday Utopia" by Kristen Ghodsee Learn more about Twin Oaks in Virginia Learn more about The Radish in Oakland  – Every month, we host ReFamily Dinner, a virtual event that connects our audience with someone who has refamulated. The guest talks about their experience and answers your questions. This month’s dinner is a conversation on communal living with Lily Lamboy and her husband Alex Savtchenko. Lily & Alex own and operate Ryza, a community home in Berkeley which they share with six friends. Sign up for this month's event here, and join us Nov. 13 from 8-9:30 p.m. EST.  _ The episode transcript is here.  – Connect with us:  EMAIL: [email protected].  WEBSITE INSTAGRAM TIK TOK _ Subscribe to our Substack for more refamulating! We write about how refamulating looks in our lives, share resources we’re using as we make this show and share special bonus content for paid subscribers. _ Our team  Host: Julia Winston Producer: Claire McInerny  Manager of Engagement: Grace Barry Audio Engineer: Josh Gilbert Theme Music: Luke Top – We are a member of the Feelings and Co network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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54 MIN
11 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 1)
NOV 12, 2024
11 I Reframing The American Dream (Pt 1)
The nuclear family has been held up as the ideal for generations, but it's actually a relatively recent invention. From college dorms to pandemic pods, some of our happiest moments come from living in community with others. So why do Americans cling to independence as a marker of success? In our Season 2 premiere, we explore how our individualistic lifestyle developed, what it's costing us, and how reimagining family structures could create a more connected future. Our guest is Dr. Kristen Ghodsee, professor of Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life. _ Every month, we host ReFamily Dinner, a virtual event that connects our audience with someone who has refamulated. The guest talks about their experience and answers your questions. This month’s dinner is a conversation on communal living with Lily Lamboy and her husband Alex Savtchenko. Lily & Alex own and operate Ryza, a community home in Berkeley which they share with six friends. Sign up for this month's event here, and join us Nov. 13 from 8-9:30 p.m. EST.  _ Referenced in this Episode: "Everyday Utopia" by Kristen Ghodsee  "Homeward Bound" by Elaine Tyler May "The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake" by David Brooks in The Atlantic U.S. Surgeon General's report: "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023) Johnson County city bans co-living with four or more people _ The episode transcript can be found here. _ Connect with us:  EMAIL: [email protected].  WEBSITE INSTAGRAM TIK TOK _ Subscribe to our Substack for more refamulating! We write about how refamulating looks in our lives, share resources we’re using as we make this show and share special bonus content for paid subscribers. _ Our team  Host: Julia Winston Producer: Claire McInerny  Manager of Engagement: Grace Barry Audio Engineer: Josh Gilbert Theme Music: Luke Top – We are a member of the Feelings and Co network.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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63 MIN