Richard Sennett to Discuss "Falling Behind," Second in the Future of Capitalism Series
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Richard Sennett, co-founder of the New York Institute for the Humanities at New York University, will deliver a lecture "Falling Behind: The Skills Economy Becomes Weak" on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. The lecture will be held in Griffin Hall, room 3, on the Williams College campus.The talk is the second in a three-part series, "The Future of Capitalism," sponsored by the Class of '71 Public Affairs Forum, the Lecture Committee, and the Oakley Center. The series' lectures are free and open to the public.
Sennett is noted for his studies on the affects of urban living on individuals in modern society. Sennett, who has written more than a dozen books, uses his work to investigate how individuals and groups make sense of material facts about where they live and the work they do.
His most recent book, "The Craftsman," addresses the connection between material consciousness and ethical values, a relationship he explores in a variety of his other works, including "The Corrosion of Character," "Respect, In an Age of Inequality," and "The Culture of the New Capitalism."
The former president of the American Council on Work, Sennett has drawn on interviews, ethnography, and historical accounts to study the transition between earlier forms of industrial capitalism and today's more global, mutable form of capitalism. His research addresses the personal consequences for workers in what he calls "the new economy."
Sennett is the recipient of numerous honors and distinctions, including the Tessenow Prize, the Gerda Henkel Prize, and an honorary doctorate from Loyola University. He is a fellow of the Council of Foreign Relations, the Royal Society of the Arts, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Sennett received his B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1964 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1969. He holds professorships at New York University, the London School of Economics, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The New York Institute for the Humanities is a forum for promoting the exchange of ideas between academics, professionals, politicians, journalists, musicians, and other artists in New York City. Its fellows have included Susan Sontag, Joseph Brodsky, Thomas Kuhn, and Michel Foucault.
In the third and final installment of "The Future of Capitalism" series, James Fallows will deliver a lecture on "China Rising." The talk will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. in the '62 Center for Theater and Dance.
