What we value: redefining worth in the New Gilded Age

This book (to be published by Simon and Schuster in spring 2023) argues that, as fewer in the US feel they are living the American dream, we need to understand how to foster scripts of the self that areless centered on material success and self-reliance, as well as new narratives of hope appealing toyounger generations -- a group now experiencing a major mental health crisis across classes. 

Based on interviews with 'agents of change' (comedians, culture creatives, journalists, advocates, activists, etc.) and American college students, I analyze the place of inclusion and 'ordinary universalism' in thesenew narratives of hope, and how these themes are diffused in the hybrid public sphere through 'recognition chains'.

I also propose different narrative-based approaches to reduce stigma and foster solidarity and I will also discuss the implications of this analysis for Europe and beyond. The theoretical significance of this study is to improve our understanding of recognition as a central dimension of inequality that influences the distribution of resources. Its social significance is to illuminate cultural conditions feeding the current crisis of American society, propose solutions, and generate a public conversation around the latter.