Unions in America aren’t what they used to be. As membership fell dramatically over the last 60 years, labor leaders went from household names to obscure and often negatively stereotyped small players in the national story. But as Philip Dray reveals in There is Power in a Union, labor has been an integral part of American history. “It’s an incredible campaign that went on for decades, that involved our grandparents and great-grandparents and achieved so many things we take for granted,” Dray said. Below, Dray chats about the farm girls who kicked off the labor movement, why labor lost its steam last century, and whether the recession will help unions pick up again.
, Bradley reveals the many different ways countries across the region talk about and regulate sex. Below, he chats with Zócalo about legal prostitution in Tunisia, hour-long marriages in Saudi Arabia, and what West and East have in common when it comes to sex.
. “What became clear to me was that this was an epic story about women’s history and American politics and the presidency, one that had shadows that extended back to the founding of this country, and one that was obviously going to change the future,” Traister said. Below, Traister talks with Zócalo about why 2008 was a landmark year for American women, where feminism stands today, and what the future holds for female candidates.
, religious Americans are less tolerant of dissent, but religious communities were crucial to the movements for women’s and civil rights. We asked five students of religion how faith builds stronger communities.
, chats about how Obama — and the tea partiers — borrowed from Howard Dean, and why Obama miscalculated by forgetting his base.
