Decades of neoliberalism have negatively impacted our sense of self-worth, up and down the income ladder. Increasingly, we have judged ourselves and others in terms of self-reliance, competition, accomplishments and diplomas, prioritizing material and professional success. But foregrounding these middle-class attributes feeds stigmatization of the working-class, the poor, people of colour, and the LGBTQIA+ community, leaving far too many on the outside. The solution, Lamont argues, is to promote new scripts of self that weaken group boundaries, reduce stigma, and push against racial and class segregation. We should shift our focus towards what we have in common while actively working to recognize the diverse ways one can live a life.
Seeing Others
For almost forty years, acclaimed Harvard sociologist Michèle Lamont has studied inequality and how a sense of belonging impacts everyone’s quality of life. On 21 November, Lamont joins De Dépendance on the occasion of her new book Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How it Can Heal a Divided World. In this capstone work, Michèle Lamont makes the case for reexamining what we value—the quest for respect—in an age that has been defined by growing disparity and the obsolescence of the American dream.
