Frances Fox Piven, CUNY Graduate Center, Department of Political Science
In her 2012 contribution to The Nation, Piven calls for broader participation of the nation’s poor in the Occupy Wall Street movement. She explores the historical political disenfranchisement of the poor through a shrinking social safety net, as well as the shaming that is an all-too-common outcome of public discourse about welfare and poverty. Her hope is two-fold: not only would greater involvement strengthen the OWS movement, but involvement could counteract chronic shame and encourage a personal transformation for poor participants. Piven was a vocal and active member of the Occupy protests taking place in New York City and has been a longtime advocate for the poor and re-politicized discussions of inequality.
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