Event | Cultures of Twenty-First Century Socialism in the United States – Research Symposium with Gavin Mueller, Drew Pendergrass, and Troy Vettese
Event | Cultures of Twenty-First Century Socialism in the United States – Research Symposium with Gavin Mueller, Drew Pendergrass, and Troy Vettese
Date: May 11th (2022), 12:30-19:00
Location: Room 1313.0309, Harmony Building (Faculty of Arts), Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat 26, 9712 EK Groningen
Registration: here (deadline May 4th)
For questions, email: Tim Jelfs, t.jelfs@rug.nl and Kathryn Roberts, k.s.roberts@rug.nl
Credits: 1 or 2 ECTS (see details)
Organizers: Tim Jelfs, Kathryn Roberts, and Hanne Nijtmans
This event is organized by members of the Program in American Studies and the Interdisciplinary Marxism Theme Group, part of the Research Centre for the Study of Democratic Cultures and Politics (DemCP) at the University of Groningen. It is made possible by support from the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) and the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA).
This two-day research symposium convenes academic staff, graduate students, and undergraduates for a wide-ranging discussion of what The Economist dubbed “millennial socialism”: a leftward shift in the politics of young people in the United States (and elsewhere), identifiable in manifestations as diverse as voting patterns, opinion polling, new media ecologies, movements for racial and climate justice, and a recent resurgence of labor organizing. Our guests are, at once, commentators on and participants in this newly vibrant culture of Twenty-First Century Socialism. Discussions will begin with a focus on their recent books, but will broaden out to the intellectual histories, prospects, and pitfalls of socialist politics in the Anglophone world, Europe, and beyond.
We would like to extend a special invitation to young researchers (MA, ReMA, PhD) interested in pursuing topics related to this theme at the PhD level, including (but not limited to) at U.S. and U.K. institutions. Day 1 events (Tuesday 10 May) include a grant-writing workshop on the theme of the symposium (for academic staff) and a guest lecture aimed at undergraduates–see the full program for details (and email the organizers if you have a strong interest in joining any of these events). Day 2 (Wednesday 11 May) begins with an informal lunch for all participants, followed by a PhD workshop, in which graduate students interested in this topic will be invited to share their (potential) project ideas. With invited guests and organizers on hand, we will also discuss PhD and career opportunities in the U.S. and U.K. At 4pm, ICOG and NICA host a Roundtable with Gavin Mueller, Drew Pendergrass, and Troy Vettese about their new books, followed by a Borrel (drinks and snacks) for all.
Readings
- Jelfs, Tim. “Will the Revolution Be Podcast?: Marxism and the Culture of ‘Millennial Socialism’ in the United States.” In Marxism and America: New Appraisals, edited by Christopher Phelps and Robin Vandome, 241–63. Manchester University Press, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1q26zw1.17.
- *Mueller, Gavin. Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your Job. Verso, 2021. Read the Introduction, Ch.1 and Ch.4.
- *Pendergrass, Drew and Troy Vettese, Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. Verso, 2022. Read the Introduction, Ch.1 and Ch.4.
*Students who wish to receive 2EC should endeavor to read both books in their entirety, as well as completing an additional writing assignment.
Bios
Gavin Mueller is Assistant Professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam, an editor with Viewpoint Magazine, and the author of two books: Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Were Right About Why You Hate Your Job (Verso 2021) and Media Piracy in the Cultural Economy (Routledge 2019).
Drew Pendergrass is a PhD candidate in environmental engineering at Harvard University. Troy Vettese is an environmental historian and Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute. They are co-authors of the new book Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change, and Pandemics (Verso 2022), as well as numerous articles for magazines such as Bookforum, Current Affairs, The New Republic, The Guardian, Harper’s, Jacobin, N+1, New Statesman, and more.
Link: Full Program of Research Symposium, with description of requirements for ECTS https://docs.google.com/document/d/14pETUc1Qc4nInRbg6qjnnmg0PAGQxlemPxQTe0hJe8U/edit?usp=sharing