IOP Pritzker Fellow Bhaskar Sunkara on "Dealignment & Identity Politics: What Replaced Class?"

THIS SEMINAR IS OPEN TO CURRENT UCHICAGO STUDENTS ONLY

Monday, March 30

3:30-4:45pm

What happened to democratic politics once class ceased to function as a primary organizing principle? Drawing on Bhaskar Sunkara’s reporting and editorial experience, the session focuses on how globalization, declining union density and the collapse of mass membership organizations broke the link between economic position and political behavior.

The discussion centers on the rise of identity- and issue-based politics as a dominant substitute for class alignment. Rather than treating identity politics as a cultural choice or moral error, the seminar examines it as a product of institutional change: the shift from workplace-based organizing to NGO-driven advocacy, legalism and professionalized activism. Have these politics represented a genuine expansion of democratic inclusion or a narrowing of popular participation that reshaped the Democratic Party around social issues while weakening its connection to working-class voters?

Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Ella Kumano-Maloney (ikmaloney@uchicago.edu).