Organizational Studies | 2018 Newsletter OS 2018 Newsletter | Page 14

“ It was amazing to see the wide range of people who are feeling motivated to make a difference and take action against certain norms that currently exist in our society. One of the major takeaways for me was that there are many issues that different people feel compelled to take action against, and this convention allowed space for all of those issues to come together.“ GABRIELLE ROTH During the weekend of October 27, OS professor Michael Heaney sent five students from his Advanced Reseach Team to the Women’s Convention in Detroit. The students conducted surveys of the participants for a study of women’s activism and had a chance to participate in the workshops, strategy sessions, inspiring forums and intersectional movement building at the convention. “The Women’s Convention is a premiere example of a rising wave of collective-action feminism in the United States. The intersectional conference sought to unite women in workshops, team-building, and panels that harnessed the political, interdisciplinary, and creative energy. For me, that creative energy was one of the most striking examples of women’s power and pride. The art birthed from the intersectional nature of the movement and at the convention was as potent and powerful as it was beautiful.” ELIZABETH MARICS “One especially striking moment came during lunch on Saturday when there was a panel of speakers including organizers of the Women’s March and congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Maxine Waters. Many of the speakers were able to get the crowd involved and passionate about their speeches. Throughout the lunch there were moments when the whole room of women and a few men would erupt in applause and stand on their feet cheering and pumping their fists. It was exciting to witness so many people openly demonstrate how passionate they felt about the women’s movement and their drive to further issues affecting women.“ GENEVIEVE HARNER WOMEN’S CONVENTION 14 MARK MIZRUCHI ROBERT COOLEY ANGELL Robert Cooley Angell INAUGURAL LECTURE “Much has been written about the increasing fragmentation of American society, and the polarization of our politics. Although several explanations have been offered to account for this polarization, I argue that something else is at fault: the decline of leadership among the heads of large American corporations. Through its relative moderation and pragmatism, the corporate elite helped to keep extremist elements at bay during the post-World War II period, an era of historically low inequality and high economic growth. In the 1970s, however, these elites, facing a major crisis, allied themselves with the far right groups they had Collegiate Professor of Sociology In recognition of this honor, on February 7, 2018, Mark gave the inaugural lecture: The Fracturing of American Political Life. previously shunned. Although this allowed large corporations to achieve several goals, it opened the way for extremists to gain control of the Republican Party. In aligning itself with traditional conservatives, the corporate elite created a situation that it can no longer control. The result is the political extremism that we observe today. “ MARK MIZRUCHI Read more about Professor Mizruchi’s research on his website, and watch the video of the lecture on the OS website. 15