Evidence shows that the more curious we are, the better we learn and the happier we feel. And yet much of our schooling discourages curiosity and our curiosity shrinks with time, for complex reasons. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel reflects upon what drives — and inhibits — curiosity. Resources: Susan Engel, The Hungry Mind: The Origins … Continued
For the last forty years, unions and the left more broadly have been in decline. Clearly the business class went on the offensive during this time, but is that the whole story? Veteran organizer Jane McAlevey argues that the left abandoned deep organizing just at the moment when the right was organizing its grassroots, and … Continued
The last three years have been the hottest on record. But, rather than urgently addressing global warming, we now have a government helmed by a climate denier, who has chosen the head of Exxon Mobil as his Secretary of State. Are we doomed? Leftwing environmentalist Tom Athanasiou thinks not. He believes the Trump backlash provides … Continued
The left has been traditionally defined, in its most radical form, as a movement of the working class against capitalism. What changed over the last half century? Not only has the working class not been at the forefront of radical politics, but radical politics itself has waned. Why have resistance movements become more sporadic? And … Continued
We on the left find ourselves in a world that seems sullied in at every level — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the unequal social relations between people, and an exploitative relationship with the natural world. Our answer, not surprisingly, is to struggle for more purity, both in our environment and in … Continued
Much of middle school and high school education is mind-numbing, with students being taught to the test, based on a rigid curriculum that elevates breadth over depth and memorization over critical inquiry. How might it be done differently? Educator Ira Rabois spent almost three decades teaching secondary students at an alternative public school. He discusses … Continued
Depending on whom you ask, cities in America are booming or cities in America are failing. But whether San Francisco or Detroit, or the many smaller cities around the country, urban areas are central to perpetuating the stark inequalities of our society—and yet are also sites of political ferment. William Goldsmith talks about the state … Continued
Historian Matthew Delmont discusses the controversy over school desegregation in the 1960s and 70s and how it was reduced by the media and politicians to the frame of “busing” students. He reflects on the political implications of turning civil rights and segregation in the North into the narrow issue of school transfers. Resources: Matthew F. … Continued
Creative destruction is the hallmark of capitalism, as the economist Joseph Schumpeter argued. But the destructive side is often overlooked. Francesca Ammon discusses the enormous wave of demolition that accompanied the postwar boom — transforming the rural, urban and suburban landscape, and displacing the residents of scores of communities around the United States. Resources: Francesca … Continued
In the popular imagination, U.S. anarchism ended with the deportation of Emma Goldman in 1919, only to re-emerge recently with the masked Black Bloc. But according to scholar Andrew Cornell, anarchism survived and thrived in mid-century America, deeply influencing bohemia, Civil Rights, and the New Left. Resources: Andrew Cornell, Unruly Equality: U.S. Anarchism in the … Continued
