New Books in Critical Theory

Eric Drott, an Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of Texas at Austin, delves into the intricate political economy of music streaming. He discusses how platforms like Spotify reshape genres and listener experiences, exposing economic challenges and the manipulative use of data analytics. Drott also highlights the implications of consumer surveillance, risks of streaming fraud, and the struggles of artists in a commercially-driven landscape. His insights paint a vivid picture of how streaming intertwines with wider issues like capitalism and social reproduction.

Simin Fadaee, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester and President of the International Sociological Association Research Committee on Social Classes and Social Movements, discusses the enduring relevance of Marxism in global revolutionary politics. She highlights the unique adaptations of Marxism by figures like Ho Chi Minh and Ali Shariati, showcasing its transformative potential. Fadaee delves into the intricate relationships between revolution, economic justice, and the legacies of colonialism, underscoring the importance of international solidarity in contemporary struggles.

Toby Bennett, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, dives deep into the digital transformation of the music industry. He shares insights on the evolving corporate structures of major record labels and the challenges artists face in this landscape. Bennett discusses the intricate dynamics between commercial roles and creative aspirations, revealing the unique cultures within music organizations. He also highlights the tension between data analytics and artistic expression, showcasing how these elements shape the industry's future.

J. Mijin Cha, an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz, specializes in environmental studies and just transitions for fossil fuel workers. In this discussion, Cha reveals a comprehensive framework for equitable energy transitions, emphasizing community needs. She contrasts essential legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act with grassroots-driven solutions. Highlighting local innovations, she advocates for inclusive policies that ensure fair job creation and environmental equity, arguing for an approach that empowers workers beyond just those in fossil fuels.

Explore the intersection of racial capitalism and the opioid crisis, highlighting systemic inequalities in drug policy. Discover how the biotech industry's exploitation mirrors historical racial hierarchies. Analyze the stigmatization of heroin and its impact on marginalized communities. Uncover the illusion of colorblind racism and its role in perpetuating disparities. The podcast advocates for empathetic approaches to drug addiction and challenges dominant narratives shaped by systemic biases, pushing for alternative storytelling that elevates marginalized voices.

In Dividing the Public: School Finance and the Creation of Structural Inequity (Cornell UP, 2024), Matthew Gardner Kelly takes aim at the racial and economic disparities that characterize public education funding in the United States. With California as his focus, Kelly illustrates that the use of local taxes to fund public education was never an inadvertent or de facto product of past practices, but an intentional decision adopted in place of well-known alternatives during the Progressive Era, against past precedent and principle in several states.From efforts to convert expropriated Indigenous and Mexican land into common school funding in the 1850s, to reforms that directed state aid to expanding white suburbs during the years surrounding World War II, Dividing the Public traces, in intricate detail, how a host of policies connected to school funding have divided California by race and class over time. In bringing into view the neglected and poorly understood history of policymaking connected to school finance, Kelly offers a new story about the role public education played in shaping the racially segregated, economically divided, and politically fragmented world of the post-1945 metropolis.Matthew Gardner Kelly is an assistant professor of educational foundations, leadership, and policy at the University of Washington.  Max Jacobs is a PhD student in education at Rutgers University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

What happened to culture in 2020? In Like Lockdown Never Happened: Music and Culture During Covid (Repeater, 2024), Joy White, a Lecturer in Applied Social Studies at the University of Bedfordshire, explores the impact of Covid, along with social, community and artistic responses. The book ranges widely, including comparative analysis of the UK and Jamaica, deep dives into contemporary Black music and Black culture on TV, digital modes of making and distributing music, and emerging cultural practices on platforms such as TikTok. Theoretically rich as well as offering detailed media and cultural analysis, the book is essential reading of humanities, social science and public health scholars, as well as for anyone interested in reflecting on the era when Covid first hut society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

The French have long self-identified as champions of universal emancipation, yet the republicanism they adopted has often been faulted for being exclusionary – of women, foreigners, and religious and ethnic minorities. Can republicanism be an attractive alternative to liberalism, communism, and communitarianism, or is it fundamentally flawed?Sharing Freedom: Republicanism and Exclusion in Revolutionary France (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces the development of republicanism from an older elitist theory of freedom into an inclusive theory of emancipation during the French Revolution. It uncovers the theoretical innovations of Rousseau and of revolutionaries such as Sieyès, Robespierre, Condorcet, and Grouchy. We learn how they struggled to adapt republicanism to the new circumstances of a large and diverse France, full of poor and dependent individuals with little education or experience of freedom. Analysing the argumentative logic that led republicans to justify the exclusion of many, this book renews the republican tradition and connects it with the enduring issues of colonialism, immigration, slavery, poverty and gender.Geneviève Rousselière is a Franco-American political theorist. She is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke University. She is the co-editor of Republicanism and the Future of Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2019).Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Dr. Laura C. Chávez-Moreno, author and education researcher, discusses her groundbreaking work on how schools shape students' understanding of race, focusing on Latinx identities. She explores her journey from teacher to researcher and the vital role of bilingual education in nurturing cultural awareness. The conversation delves into the contradictions in teaching race, the racialization of Latinx students, and advocates for integrating bilingual education with ethnic studies to combat systemic biases and promote racial equity.

Explore how psychological defense mechanisms influenced the 2024 presidential campaign and election. Delve into the dynamics of rationalization, denial, and displacement in shaping voter perceptions. Learn about collective repression and its impact on beliefs, especially regarding the 2020 election. Witness the contradictions in candidate positions, highlighting cognitive dissonance among supporters. Finally, discover strategies for navigating political conversations during family gatherings to maintain harmony.