We bring together scholars across disciplines to discuss the causes and consequences of inequality and strategies to promote economic mobility. Listen and discover novel insights and strategies to address today’s most pressing issues in inequality.
Why are workers doing more than ever in an age of specialization? Stanford Sociologist Michelle Jackson examines how jobs accumulated new responsibilities over time and reflects on what bolder approaches to education, family, and opportunity could mean for inequality.
What are the implications of declining unionization in United States? Tom VanHeuvelen examines historical drivers of deunionization and recent "right-to-work" laws. As he reflects on the benefits of unions, he also considers the future of American labor and economy.
How do class, gender, and race intersect to shape inequality? This episode, Leslie McCall examines labor market change and public attitudes, challenging common assumptions about meritocracy, mobility, and who benefits in today’s economy.
How do legal systems extort the poor? Joe Soss examines how social welfare programs and incarceration have contributed to the financial crises of impoverished Americans. He reflects on the mobility barriers posed by the legal system's increased scrutiny of the poor.
Mario Small examines how networks shape opportunity in ways we often overlook, from chance encounters to institutional ties. He discusses why acquaintances can matter more than close friends and how organizations quietly structure access to jobs, resources, and support.
Kim Bowes explores the economic lives of ordinary Romans, drawing on archaeological evidence to rethink consumption, credit, and work. She reflects on the challenges of interpreting ancient data and what it can or cannot reveal about inequality and everyday life.
For our 50th episode, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz reflects on six decades studying inequality. The Columbia economist, author, and former Clinton White House advisor discusses the ideas that shaped his career and how new technologies like AI may influence inequality.
When stereotypes substitute for evidence, the consequences can be severe. Sociologist René Flores breaks down how Americans form suspicions of "social illegality," why crime myths dominate immigration attitudes, and what it means for people living under that suspicion.
Are today's immigrants different from those who arrived a century ago? Stanford's Ran Abramitzky and Yale's Leah Boustan challenge immigration myths, discussing upward mobility, cultural assimilation, naming patterns, and refugee success with host Steven Durlauf.
Is capitalism natural or historical? Harvard historian Sven Beckert discusses his book Capitalism: A Global History, exploring slavery's role in economic development, the great divergence, China's unprecedented growth, and ecology with host Steven Durlauf.
