This season focuses on what’s capturing and dividing the working class. But if we’re interested in more unity, what’s a good way to bring everyone together? How about a joke?Rachel invited Gavin Matts onto this episode after seeing his standup set where he joked about debt, unemployment, and other class issues from a real-world perspective that are rarely seen on stage. She also speaks with Kenice Mobley, another NYC-based stand up, who talks about the realities of having a career in comedy without the financial or personal connections that are often needed to get ahead.And Caty Borum, the executive director of the Center for Media and Social Impact and co-founder of the Yes And Laughter Lab, offers a big-picture view of the class contours of comedy - both for comics and the industry. She explains how comedy effectively meets universal human needs, and how class could be the next big topic in the entertainment industry.Kenice Mobley:<a href='https://www.instagram.com/kenicemobley/?hl=en'> Instagram</a> Caty Borum: <a href='https://yesandlaughterlab.com/'>Yes And Laughter Lab (Y’ALL)</a> <a href='https://cmsimpact.org/'>Center for Media and Social Impact</a>Gavin Matts: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/gavinmatts/?hl=en'>Instagram</a>Shifting Terrain: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/shifting_terrain_podcast/#'>Instagram</a>shiftingterrainpodcast@gmail.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;This season focuses on what’s capturing and dividing the working class. But if we’re interested in more unity, what’s a good way to bring everyone together? How about a joke?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rachel invited Gavin Matts onto this episode after seeing his standup set where he joked about debt, unemployment, and other class issues from a real-world perspective that are rarely seen on stage. She also speaks with Kenice Mobley, another NYC-based stand up, who talks about the realities of having a career in comedy without the financial or personal connections that are often needed to get ahead.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And Caty Borum, the executive director of the Center for Media and Social Impact and co-founder of the Yes And Laughter Lab, offers a big-picture view of the class contours of comedy - both for comics and the industry. She explains how comedy effectively meets universal human needs, and how class could be the next big topic in the entertainment industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kenice Mobley:&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/kenicemobley/?hl=en'&gt; Instagram&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Caty Borum: &lt;a href='https://yesandlaughterlab.com/'&gt;Yes And Laughter Lab (Y’ALL)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href='https://cmsimpact.org/'&gt;Center for Media and Social Impact&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gavin Matts: &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/gavinmatts/?hl=en'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shifting Terrain: &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/shifting_terrain_podcast/#'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;shiftingterrainpodcast@gmail.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This season focuses on what’s capturing and dividing the working class. But if we’re interested in more unity, what’s a good way to bring everyone together? How about a joke? Rachel invited Gavin Matts onto this episode after seeing his standup set where he joked about debt, unemployment, and other class issues from a real-world perspective that are rarely seen on stage. She also speaks with Kenice Mobley, another NYC-based stand up, who talks about the realities of having a career in comedy ...

Laughing When You Want to Cry: Comedy for Class Struggle

Shifting Terrain had its finger on the pulse of working class voters in 2024, but a lot of people were shocked by the outcome of the presidential election. A lot of analysis has gone into what exactly moved millions of voters to the right. Was it proposed economic policies or emphasis on the culture wars?Instead of clear answers, even more questions emerged: Will the Democrats forever have a toxic brand? Can the Republicans keep up their glaring contradictions? Is there a trustworthy politician who actually cares about working class people?Our guests have a definitive take on what went down. And what this means for the future of politics.Jared Abbott, Director of the Center for Working-Class Politics, has extensive data about working class voters in the Rust Belt, with both insight into the motivation behind their votes and clear directives for future candidates. Professor René Rojas’ co-authored paper “The Latino Rebuke” challenges the typical story about Latino working class voters&apos; surprising right-ward trajectory, and why this move is distinct from their white neighbors. And we’ll also hear from Drew, a union electrician from Ohio, whose co-workers have gotten quiet since Trump was elected. Jared Abbott: <a href='https://www.workingclasspolitics.org/about'>Center for Working-Class Politics</a>René Rojas: <a href='https://catalyst-journal.com/2025/04/the-latino-rebuke'>The Latino Rebuke</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Shifting Terrain had its finger on the pulse of working class voters in 2024, but a lot of people were shocked by the outcome of the presidential election. A lot of analysis has gone into what exactly moved millions of voters to the right. Was it proposed economic policies or emphasis on the culture wars?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instead of clear answers, even more questions emerged: Will the Democrats forever have a toxic brand? Can the Republicans keep up their glaring contradictions? Is there a trustworthy politician who actually cares about working class people?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our guests have a definitive take on what went down. And what this means for the future of politics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jared Abbott, Director of the Center for Working-Class Politics, has extensive data about working class voters in the Rust Belt, with both insight into the motivation behind their votes and clear directives for future candidates. Professor René Rojas’ co-authored paper “The Latino Rebuke” challenges the typical story about Latino working class voters&amp;apos; surprising right-ward trajectory, and why this move is distinct from their white neighbors. And we’ll also hear from Drew, a union electrician from Ohio, whose co-workers have gotten quiet since Trump was elected. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jared Abbott: &lt;a href='https://www.workingclasspolitics.org/about'&gt;Center for Working-Class Politics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;René Rojas: &lt;a href='https://catalyst-journal.com/2025/04/the-latino-rebuke'&gt;The Latino Rebuke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Shifting Terrain had its finger on the pulse of working class voters in 2024, but a lot of people were shocked by the outcome of the presidential election. A lot of analysis has gone into what exactly moved millions of voters to the right. Was it proposed economic policies or emphasis on the culture wars? Instead of clear answers, even more questions emerged: Will the Democrats forever have a toxic brand? Can the Republicans keep up their glaring contradictions? Is there a trustworthy politic...

Working Class Voters One Year Later: Was It Economic Policy Or the Culture War?

We discuss Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World—a guide for a new generation of activists seeking not just to understand power, but to build it.Stephanie&apos;s civic action toolkit recommendations are:1) Learn a new skill, like non cooperation or mutual aid2) Find organizations that align with your values and check if they offer trainingsStephanie Luce is Professor of Labor Studies at the School of Labor and Urban Studies and Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She&apos;s also the co-author of Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World.Let&apos;s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:https://www.futurehindsight.com/sparkFollow Mila on X:https://x.com/milaatmosFollow Stephanie on X:https://x.com/stephanie_luce_Sponsor:Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.Early episodes for Patreon supporters:https://patreon.com/futurehindsightCredits:Host: Mila AtmosGuests: Stephanie LuceExecutive Producer: Mila AtmosProducer: Zack Travis

<description>&lt;p&gt;We discuss Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World—a guide for a new generation of activists seeking not just to understand power, but to build it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stephanie&amp;apos;s civic action toolkit recommendations are:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1) Learn a new skill, like non cooperation or mutual aid&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2) Find organizations that align with your values and check if they offer trainings&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stephanie Luce is Professor of Labor Studies at the School of Labor and Urban Studies and Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She&amp;apos;s also the co-author of Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let&amp;apos;s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Mila on X:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://x.com/milaatmos&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Stephanie on X:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://x.com/stephanie_luce_&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sponsor:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Early episodes for Patreon supporters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://patreon.com/futurehindsight&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Credits:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Host: Mila Atmos&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: Stephanie Luce&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Executive Producer: Mila Atmos&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Producer: Zack Travis&lt;/p&gt;</description>

We discuss Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World—a guide for a new generation of activists seeking not just to understand power, but to build it. Stephanie's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Learn a new skill, like non cooperation or mutual aid 2) Find organizations that align with your values and check if they offer trainings Stephanie Luce is Professor of Labor Studies at the School of Labor and Urban Studies and Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Center, ...

Future Hindsight | How Underdogs Build Power: Stephanie Luce 

Think the recent wave of Starbucks and Amazon unionizing signals a tidal shift in worker power? A new wave of labor movement activity to take down corporations?Our guests have some news for you. While unions have long been considered the best way to build worker power, what’s really happening on the ground right now as the workforce increasingly moves towards a gig economy? And what does this mean for your future? Yes, you.Whether you’re an office worker on a salary, or a delivery driver on an app, we’re in a new era of labor organizing. Hear from Italo Medelius, an “Amazonian” and union organizer at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina; Brian Dolber, researcher and organizer, who reveals the ways you can organize people who have the same job, but not the same workspace; and Ligia Guallpa, director of the Workers Justice Project in Brooklyn, who shares more than we know about the costs of convenience behind an app like Grub Hub.You’ll also hear about a controversial, but bold idea, from Les Leopold, that might just be the thing that actually turns the tide for workers.Italo Medelius: <a href='https://amazoncause.com/'>Amazon CAUSE</a>Brian Dolber: <a href='https://www.drivers-united.org/'>Rideshare Drivers United</a> and co-editor of <a href='https://www.routledge.com/The-Gig-Economy-Workers-and-Media-in-the-Age-of-Convergence/Dolber-Rodino-Colocino-Kumanyika-Wolfson/p/book/9780367686222'>The Gig Economy: Workers and Media in the Age of Convergence</a>Ligia Guallpa: <a href='https://www.workersjustice.org/'>The Workers Justice Project</a>Les Leopold: <a href='https://www.thelaborinstitute.org/'>The Labor Institute </a>and author of the popular substack (and book by the same title) <a href='https://lesleopold.substack.com/'>Wall Street’s War on Workers</a> Have questions about the gig economy? Check out the <a href='https://gigeconomydata.org/home.html'>Gig Economy Data Hub</a>, a project of the Workers Lab in collaboration with the SNF Agora Institute at John Hopkins University.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Think the recent wave of Starbucks and Amazon unionizing signals a tidal shift in worker power? A new wave of labor movement activity to take down corporations?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our guests have some news for you. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While unions have long been considered the best way to build worker power, what’s really happening on the ground right now as the workforce increasingly moves towards a gig economy? And what does this mean for your future? Yes, you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you’re an office worker on a salary, or a delivery driver on an app, we’re in a new era of labor organizing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hear from Italo Medelius, an “Amazonian” and union organizer at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina; Brian Dolber, researcher and organizer, who reveals the ways you can organize people who have the same job, but not the same workspace; and Ligia Guallpa, director of the Workers Justice Project in Brooklyn, who shares more than we know about the costs of convenience behind an app like Grub Hub.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You’ll also hear about a controversial, but bold idea, from Les Leopold, that might just be the thing that actually turns the tide for workers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Italo Medelius: &lt;a href='https://amazoncause.com/'&gt;Amazon CAUSE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Brian Dolber: &lt;a href='https://www.drivers-united.org/'&gt;Rideshare Drivers United&lt;/a&gt; and co-editor of &lt;a href='https://www.routledge.com/The-Gig-Economy-Workers-and-Media-in-the-Age-of-Convergence/Dolber-Rodino-Colocino-Kumanyika-Wolfson/p/book/9780367686222'&gt;The Gig Economy: Workers and Media in the Age of Convergence&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ligia Guallpa: &lt;a href='https://www.workersjustice.org/'&gt;The Workers Justice Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Les Leopold: &lt;a href='https://www.thelaborinstitute.org/'&gt;The Labor Institute &lt;/a&gt;and author of the popular substack (and book by the same title) &lt;a href='https://lesleopold.substack.com/'&gt;Wall Street’s War on Workers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Have questions about the gig economy? Check out the &lt;a href='https://gigeconomydata.org/home.html'&gt;Gig Economy Data Hub&lt;/a&gt;, a project of the Workers Lab in collaboration with the SNF Agora Institute at John Hopkins University.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Think the recent wave of Starbucks and Amazon unionizing signals a tidal shift in worker power? A new wave of labor movement activity to take down corporations? Our guests have some news for you.  While unions have long been considered the best way to build worker power, what’s really happening on the ground right now as the workforce increasingly moves towards a gig economy? And what does this mean for your future? Yes, you. Whether you’re an office worker on a salary, or a delivery dri...

How Workers Will Win the Class War

What is happening with immigration policy and enforcement? Are we witnessing an unprecedented level of surveillance and violence? Or does social media just make people more aware of what’s always been happening? Sociologist Shannon Gleason helps us untangle the knot of immigration policy and modern day tactics to reveal the bipartisan roots of strategies designed to snarl legal migration; what $40,000 gets if you’re navigating possible deportation; and the unlikely allies in this fight. Jorge Torres, national organizing director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), shares on-the-ground experiences confronting day laborers, along with the interventions you don’t always see in viral clips online. And Maria describes just how much the quintessential immigrant story of her childhood has changed in America. Shannon Gleeson: <a href='https://www.russellsage.org/publications/book/legalized-inequalities'>Legalized Inequalities: Immigration and Race in the Low-Wage Workplace</a>Jorge Torres: <a href='https://ndlon.org/'>National Day Laborer Organizing Network</a> Executive Producers: Rachel Rybaczuk and Amanda CowperAudio Mixing: Tina Tobey Mack

<description>&lt;p&gt;What is happening with immigration policy and enforcement? Are we witnessing an unprecedented level of surveillance and violence? Or does social media just make people more aware of what’s always been happening? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sociologist Shannon Gleason helps us untangle the knot of immigration policy and modern day tactics to reveal the bipartisan roots of strategies designed to snarl legal migration; what $40,000 gets if you’re navigating possible deportation; and the unlikely allies in this fight. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jorge Torres, national organizing director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), shares on-the-ground experiences confronting day laborers, along with the interventions you don’t always see in viral clips online. And Maria describes just how much the quintessential immigrant story of her childhood has changed in America. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shannon Gleeson: &lt;a href='https://www.russellsage.org/publications/book/legalized-inequalities'&gt;Legalized Inequalities: Immigration and Race in the Low-Wage Workplace&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jorge Torres: &lt;a href='https://ndlon.org/'&gt;National Day Laborer Organizing Network&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Executive Producers: Rachel Rybaczuk and Amanda Cowper&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Audio Mixing: Tina Tobey Mack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What is happening with immigration policy and enforcement? Are we witnessing an unprecedented level of surveillance and violence? Or does social media just make people more aware of what’s always been happening?  Sociologist Shannon Gleason helps us untangle the knot of immigration policy and modern day tactics to reveal the bipartisan roots of strategies designed to snarl legal migration; what $40,000 gets if you’re navigating possible deportation; and the unlikely allies in this fight....

The Policies, Tactics, and Desperation of Immigration Today

Shifting Terrain is back for a new season to explore the forces both capturing and dividing the working class. Hosted by sociologist Rachel Rybaczuk, she’ll talk with experts and everyday people about everything from the alarming reach of Christian nationalism to the inescapable influence of the manosphere, whether unions are actually the way to build power and if immigrants are really taking your job. Shifting Terrain moves beyond simplistic stereotypes to amplify the cultural, political, and economic issues facing America's working class today.

Shifting Terrain

Details

Recent Episodes