💔 Chocolate 🍫, Flowers 💐, Diamonds 💎& Disappointment 😔: Why the Political Economy of Love Ruins the Romance of Valentine's Day 💔

There's no better way to ruin the romance of Valentine's day than with this GDP podcast.  Chocolate, Flowers and Diamonds are all "traditional expressions" of love and affection, and they are all connected to problematic commodity chains.   Dr. Laura Parisi joins us at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia to take us through the reasons why some of the most popular valentine's day gifts can come with a heavy price tag (that goes well beyond 2 months of salary). Dr. Laura Parisi is Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Gender Studies with a cross-appointment in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria in Victoria, BC Canada. She has published in the areas of gender equality, political economy, human rights, and international development. Her current projects include an article entitled “Canada’s New Feminist International Assistance Policy: Business as Usual?” which is forthcoming in Foreign Policy Analysis, and the co-authored forthcoming book, Gender, Power, and International Development: A Critical Approach (Palgrave). Follow Dr. Bob on Twitter: @ ProfessorHuish