Recorded on February 11, 2015
Do we still believe that any child in America could grow up to be President of the United States? American’s have long resisted the notion that class plays a role in our society, but current research undercuts that idea. Economist Randy Albelda examines the rise in U.S. social immobility and the role that contemporary labor conditions have played in limiting Americans’ expectations to do better than their parents’ generation. Union organizer Joey Mokos responds by discussing the ways that the modern union movement is responding to changes in our worklife. What role does social mobility play in a healthy democracy? What role does organizing play in creating social mobility?
This program is funded in part by MassHumanities.
