Matrix Teach-In
Recap
Published November 2, 2026
Desmond Jagmohan: “Two Concepts of Patriotism: Nationalist and Civic”
Social Science Matrix hosted a lecture by Desmond Jagmohan, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley, that focused on the distinctions between nationalist from civic patriotism. The lecture was delivered as part of the Matrix Teach-In series, which brings some of UC Berkeley’s most engaging social science lecturers into a public setting.
Learn More >New Directions
Recap
Published November 1, 2026
New Directions: Green Transitions
The transition to a low-carbon economy is reshaping how societies produce and consume energy, with far-reaching implications for technology, industry, policy, and everyday life. Recorded on October 14, 2026, this panel brought together advanced graduate students from UC Berkeley whose research examines the forces shaping green energy transitions around the world.
Learn More >Recap
Published October 26, 2026
Norma Alarcón: “Forced by Circumstance: A Chicana Feminist Journey (1981–2024)”
Recorded on October 15, 2026, this video features a conversation with Norma Alarcón, Professor Emerita of Chicanx Latinx Studies at UC Berkeley, a groundbreaking Chicana theorist and feminist scholar. The conversation was presented by the Latinx Research Center and focused on the book "Forced by Circumstance: A Chicana Feminist Journey (1981–2024)."
Learn More >California Spotlight
Recap
Published October 14, 2026
California Spotlight: Wealth & Poverty
California is one of the wealthiest states in the country, yet it also faces persistent poverty, stark economic inequality, and some of the highest costs of living in the nation. Recorded on October 7, 2026, this panel brought together leading scholars to examine the forces shaping wealth and poverty across the state. Featuring David Grusky and Samuel Trachtman, with Evan White moderating.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published October 14, 2026
Authors Meet Critics: “Demos: How the People Ruled Athens”
Recorded on October 1, 2026, this video (and podcast) features an Authors Meet Critics panel on the book "Demos: How the People Ruled Athens," by Daniela Cammack, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley. With comments by James Porter and Kinch Hoekstra. Moderated by Dylan Riley.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published September 22, 2026
Normalizing Inequality: How Californians Make Sense of the Growing Divide
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel on "Normalizing Inequality: How Californians Make Sense of the Growing Divide," by UC Berkeley scholars G. Cristina Mora, Professor of Sociology, and Tianna Paschel, Associate Professor of African American Studies.
Learn More >Book Talk
Recap
Published May 14, 2026
Benjamin Recht: “The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us”
Recorded on May 5, 2026, this video features a talk by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, focused on his book, The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us. Professor Recht was joined in conversation by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of […]
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published April 23, 2026
Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel featuring the book "Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine," by Charles Briggs, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. Professor Briggs was joined in conversation by Elinor Ochs and Eric Snoey, with Armando Lara-Millán moderating.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published April 23, 2026
The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel on the book "The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World," by Trevor Jackson, Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley. Professor Jackson was joined in conversation by Chenzi Xu and Dylan Riley, with Abhishek Kaicker moderating.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
Recap
Published April 23, 2026
Matrix on Point: The U.S. Dollar Hegemony in Transition
Recorded on April 8, 2026, this panel brought together scholars to examine the foundation of U.S. monetary influence and the role of financial innovation in an evolving global economy. The panel featured Barry Eichengreen, Rohan Kekre, and Chenzi Xu, with Brian Judge moderating.
Learn More >CRELS
Recap
Published April 1, 2026
Algorithms of Distinction: Class, Credit Scores, and Property in South Africa
Watch or listen to a lecture by Julien Migozzi, an economic geographer and Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, examining how 21st-century class dynamics become connected with data-driven stratification systems, focusing on the digital transformation of property markets in South Africa.
Learn More >California Spotlight
Recap
Published March 3, 2026
California Spotlight: Higher Education Under Attack
Recorded on February 9, 2026, this panel brought together scholars — including Charlie Eaton, Katherine Newman, Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra, and Christopher Kutz — to examine the forces challenging public higher education today. Drawing on areas spanning finance, policy, and labor, the discussion explored how these dynamics are shaping the UC System, and what is at stake for students, employees, the public, and the future of higher education.
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