12:00: Discussing America’s biggest political divide: education
1:00: With Ukraine on edge, we preview the film “Porcelain War”
The United States is polarized - but not in the way that many experts expected two decades ago. The big divide is on education. In the most recent election, the racial divide got smaller, and the class and educational divide got larger. Matthew Grossmann and David A. Hopkins bring the data, the story, and the history in their book, “Polarized Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics.” We talk to them about who is winning the culture war, how Democrats became stuck as the party of elite education, and more. Our guests:
- Matthew Grossmann, Ph.D., co-author of “Polarized Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics,” and director of the Institute of Public Policy and Social Research and professor of political science at Michigan State University
- David A. Hopkins, Ph.D., co-author of “Polarized Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics,” and associate professor of political science at Boston College
Then in our second hour: “We're ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.” Slava Leontyev is a former member of the Ukrainian Special Forces. He, his wife Anya, and their friend Andrey – all artists – chose to remain in Ukraine during the war. Despite extreme hardship and the fight for survival, they find moments of inspiration, beauty, and humanity. Leontyev’s new film, “Porcelain War,”* is a powerful, inside look at the lives of civilians (including civilian soldiers) during the war. This hour, we’re joined by Leontyev, co-director Brendan Bellomo, and a member of RocMaidan to discuss the film, the state of the war, and how they are working to prevent the erasure of Ukrainian culture. Our guests:
- Slava Leontyev, co-director of “Porcelain War,” artist, and former solider with the Ukrainian Special Forces
- Brendan Bellomo, co-director of “Porcelain War”
- Elena Dilai, board secretary for RocMaidan
*Note: “Porcelain War” opens at the Little Theatre on January 10.
