Interdisciplinary Marxism Roundtable: Cultures of Twenty-First Century Socialism in the United States

This public roundtable is part of the Research Symposium:

Cultures of Twenty-First Century Socialism in the United States. Histories, Ideologies, Aesthetics (programme)

Organized by Dr. Tim Jelfs (t.jelfs rug.nl), Dr. Kathryn Roberts (k.s.roberts rug.nl), and Hanne Nijtmans, RMA (h.w.nijtmans rug.nl), with support from Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG), Netherlands American Studies Association (NASA), and Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA)

Speakers

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.

About the event

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, and will discuss their own work on technology in the workplace and climate change, as well as how that work relates to the broader intellectual and political culture of contemporary socialism in the United States and elsewhere.

ReMA students and PhD candidates who are members of one of the Netherlands’ national research schools can obtain ECTS via the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA). For more information visit https://www.nica-institute.com/education/.

Public events

Registration is required for some of the events; email the organizers: Tim Jelfs, t.jelfs rug.nl; Kathryn Roberts, k.s.roberts rug.nl; and Hanne Nijtmans, h.w.nijtmans rug.nl.

Public events on Wednesday 11 May (Harmonie Building)

• 12:30 - 13:00 Lunch for all participants (Weber Foyer, registration required)
• 14:00 - 15:00 ICOG/NICA PhD Workshop (Room 1313.0309, registration required)
• 16:00 - 18:00 Roundtable (Room 1313.0309 & Online)
• 18:00 - 19:00 Drinks for all participants (Weber Foyer)