Questions of “viewpoint diversity” and “institutional neutrality” are roiling higher education, though the intensity of the debates around these issues too often precludes the kind of honest, nuanced engagement that might yield solutions.
Join The Center for the American Experience (CAE) for a discussion with New School anthropologist Nicolas Langlitz, The Chronicle of Higher Education editor Len Gutkin, and University of Hawai'i sociologist and co-author of Vanderbilt University's “State of Scholarship” report, Ashley T. Rubin, for a spirited conversation on how we got here, and how we might move forward.
Robert Mass, member of the CAE and NSSR boards, and recent NSSR Philosophy PhD, will moderate; Q&A to follow.
Presented by The Center for American Experience at The New School
Nicolas Langlitz is Professor of Anthropology at The New School, where his research explores the intersections of science, medicine, and philosophy. Trained as both a physician and an anthropologist, he investigates how different scientific disciplines – from neuroscience to evolutionary biology – shape our understanding of what it means to be human. He is the author of Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research since the Decade of the Brain and Chimpanzee Culture Wars: Rethinking Human Nature alongside Japanese, European, and American Cultural Primatologists.
Ashley T. Rubin is a professor of sociology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She holds a PhD in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from UC Berkeley. Rubin is the author of The Deviant Prison (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Rocking Qualitative Social Science (Stanford University Press, 2021).
The Center for the American Experience at The New School is a faculty-led initiative that brings together design, the performing arts, the social sciences, and the humanities to examine the complex past, present, and future of the United States and its place in the world and in our lives. CAE is dedicated to interdisciplinary scholarship, creative practice, innovative pedagogy, and bold civic engagement.
Guided by the complementary perspectives of a historian and a media sociologist, CAE explores the ideas, histories, myths, cultures, and debates that have shaped American life. At a moment defined by political polarization, challenges to democracy, and profound changes in how information is created, shared, and understood—from social media to artificial intelligence—the Center examines the forces shaping American culture, public life, and democracy. By connecting perspectives across disciplines and communities on campus and beyond, the Center embraces the multiplicity of the American experience.
Building on The New School's longstanding commitment to cultural pluralism—a theory articulated by philosopher Horace Kallen, one of the university's earliest faculty members—CAE brings diverse perspectives into conversation not to sharpen divisions, but to cultivate understanding, discover common ground, and imagine new possibilities.
Through public programs, exhibitions, performances, and collaborative research, CAE convenes scholars, artists, students, and the broader public to explore the American experience and its enduring questions together.
Be sure to visit CAE's Events Page to see the full roster of our events and subscribe to our mailing list.
Visit The New School's Livestream and YouTube channels to watch select university events live and recorded.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum sagittis mi eu elementum malesuada. Maecenas arcu felis, suscipit vitae mi in, posuere ultricies nunc. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut ante velit, condimentum eget erat a, suscipit porttitor nisl. Pellentesque in semper nunc. Duis ultricies lacus nec dolor elementum efficitur. Cras congue neque et ipsum egestas, tincidunt tempor magna elementum. Maecenas in rhoncus ante, ac mattis lectus. Donec pulvinar nulla a varius malesuada. Ut auctor enim mi, mollis laoreet eros aliquam eget. Proin lectus tellus, ullamcorper nec neque a, ornare facilisis tellus. Proin in eros sit amet diam imperdiet varius. Duis tincidunt dolor nibh, ac interdum odio molestie vel. Cras dignissim enim at mi varius aliquet.
