Class, Status, and Party: Polarization Dynamics and Our Fragile Democratic Experiment

About this episode

Peter Bearman discusses the dynamics of class, status, and party in relation to polarization and its effects on American democracy.

The Jepson Leadership Forum presents Peter Bearman, founding director of the interdisciplinary institute Incite at Columbia University and Jonathan R. Cole Professor of Social Science at Columbia University, for a discussion on "Class, Status, and Party: Polarization Dynamics and Our Fragile Democratic Experiment." March 4, 2025 The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. We will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class. Are division and the struggle to find common ground making us stronger or tearing us apart?

People in this episode

Guest: Peter Bearman

Topics covered

• polarization
• democracy
• class
• status
• politics

Keywords

• American democracy
• division
• historical context
• justice
• education
• culture
• technology

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Class, Status, and Party: Polarization Dynamics and Our Fragile Democratic Experiment

Places: the United States

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