America has its roots in a strong meritocratic tradition: our society was built on the fact that everyone had an equal chance to scale the ladders of success, no matter one’s family background. However, over the last 30 years, evidence shows that this tradition has been shaken, and young people from college-educated homes and high school-educated homes have diverged on many factors predicting life success. What is the impact of this change, and how is it moving us away from a humanistic perspective? As part of the American Experience Distinguished Lecture Series, Robert Putnam, who has dedicated much of his academic life to studying American society, will discuss these changes, and how the various disciplines of the humanities can come together to address these serious economic, social, political, and moral challenges.

This event is also sponsored by the University Honors College and the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy. For more information, click here or contact Kimberly Carson at kac15@pitt.edu.