Musa al-Gharbi, a sociologist and assistant professor at Stony Brook University, discusses the cultural contradictions of wokeness in his book, "We Have Never Been Woke." He delves into why elite activism ebbs and flows, touching on psychological factors and the unique identity of Black Muslims in America. Musa reflects on his journey from Catholicism to Islam and highlights contributions from Islamic scholars to social science. He also explores the complexities of Muslim immigration in Europe and the dynamics of social movements today.
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Quick takeaways
The podcast discusses the decline of wokeness among elites, highlighting that elite overproduction and socio-economic hardships drive social movements.
It emphasizes that historical and cultural contexts fundamentally shape the manifestation and sustainability of social movements across different societies.
Deep dives
The Concept of Wokeness and Its Shifts
The podcast delves into the evolving concept of wokeness, particularly as it relates to knowledge economy professionals. The discussion highlights a notable peak in wokeness around 2021, suggesting it has since been on the decline. Key temporal markers indicate that wokeness significantly changed discourse surrounding social justice issues since 2010, with historical parallels to past movements. These shifts suggest that wokeness may be more contingent and less straightforward than previously assumed.
Factors Influencing the Rise of Awokenings
Two critical predictors for the emergence of awokenings are elaborated upon: elite overproduction and socio-economic conditions. Elite overproduction occurs when the number of individuals aspiring to elite status exceeds the opportunities available to them, leading to dissatisfaction and calls for social change. Additionally, when both elites and non-elites experience hardship, there tends to be a greater likelihood of coordinated social movements. This suggests that while motivators may exist, the means for sustained movements depend heavily on broader socio-economic contexts.
The Instability of Social Movements
The podcast explores the inherent instability within social movements that arise from awokenings. As frustrated elites find opportunities to ascend within the elite structure, they may disengage from the movement itself, destabilizing the collective goals. The varied methodologies and ideologies present within these movements can lead to internal tensions, further complicating their coherence and sustainability over time. This highlights the challenge of maintaining unified purpose amidst shifting individual interests and societal norms.
Cultural Context of Awokenings
Cultural and historical contexts shape the manifestations of awokenings significantly, with distinctions observed between societies. While the discussion recognizes the influences of factors like social media and educational background on the rise of wokeness, it also posits that earlier forms of social movements existed without these modern tools. The podcast suggests that the relationship between western and non-western contexts may lead to different outcomes in social movements, with unique cultural traditions and norms influencing how these movements evolve globally. This perspective urges a nuanced understanding of social movements' dynamics across varied societal frameworks.
Musa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and assistant professor at Stony Brook University whose research explores how people think about, talk about, and produce shared knowledge about race, inequality, social movements, extremism, policing, and other social phenomena. His new book, We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite, examines the rise and fall of wokeness among America’s elites and explores the underlying social forces at play.
Tyler and Musa explore the rise and fall of the "Great Awokening" and more, including how elite overproduction fuels social movements, why wokeness tends to fizzle out, whether future waves of wokeness will ratchet up in intensity, why neuroticism seems to be higher on the political Left, how a great awokening would manifest in a Muslim society, Black Muslims and the Nation of Islam, why Musa left Catholicism, who the greatest sociologist of Islam is, Muslim immigration and assimilation in Europe, and more.