New Directions
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Event Date: March 10th, 2026
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM PT
New Directions: Colonial Legacies, Post-Colonial Perspectives
Colonial legacies continue to shape political, social, and intellectual life. While colonialism is often treated as a historical period, its structures and logics persist in contemporary debates around race, territory, knowledge, and power. This panel — part of the Social Science Matrix New Directions series — will bring together UC Berkeley graduate students from anthropology, geography, and sociology to examine how colonial histories are reproduced, contested, and reimagined across different contexts.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
Recap
Published November 11, 2024
Matrix on Point: Voices from the Heartland
Recorded on October 21, 2024, this Matrix on Point panel featured three scholars — Arlie Hochschild, Jenny Reardon, and Lisa Pruitt — discussing the frequently overlooked yet politically potent voices emanating from America’s rural heartlands and small towns. Moderated by Cihan Tuğal.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published November 11, 2024
Authors Meet Critics: “Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era”
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel "Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era," by Paul Pierson and Eric Schickler, who were joined in conversation by Francis Fukuyama and Didi Kuo. Moderated by Mark Danner.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
Recap
Published November 8, 2024
Matrix on Point: War is Back
Recorded on September 30, 2024, this "Matrix on Point" panel discussion focused on the recent escalation of conflicts around the world — and what lies ahead. The panel featured Michaela Mattes, Andrew Reddie, and Daniel Sargent, and was moderated by Vinod Aggarwal.
Learn More >Podcast
Interview
Published November 1, 2024
Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and the Fragile History of American Democracy
This Matrix Podcast episode features a conversation between James Vernon, Director of the Global Democracy Commons initiative, and Hank Reichman, Professor Emeritus at Cal State East Bay, and author of Understanding Academic Freedom.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published October 24, 2024
Authors Meet Critics: Puta Life: Seeing Latinas, Working Sex
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel on "Puta Life: Seeing Latinas, Working Sex," by Juana María Rodríguez, Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Professor Rodriguez was joined in conversation by Clarissa Rojas and Courtney Desiree Morris, with Alberto Ledesma moderating.
Learn More >Podcast
Interview
Published September 27, 2024
Prisoner Labor Legacies: An interview with Elizabeth Hargrett and Xander Lenc
While recent news has highlighted how prisoners have fought wildfires, prison labor is not a new phenomenon. Although incarcerated people have built highways, dams, and buildings, their contributions to American infrastructure are often made invisible. Both Elizabeth Hargrett and Xander Lenc have studied how prisoner labor has shaped America’s infrastructure with a focus on North […]
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