The following podcasts have been recommended to UU Class Conversations, and we now recommend them to you for their probing and insightful examination of social class. Find them at your favorite podcast source.
1. Classy (hosted by Jonathan Menjivar)
This is a deeply personal and engaging series exploring how class infiltrates everyday life. Menjivar draws on his own working class upbringing and media career, weaving in interviews and reflections on food, fashion and social mobility. Classy was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by The New Yorker, Time, The Atlantic, and others.
2. The Inequality Podcast
Produced by the University of Chicago’s Stone Center, this academic-driven show brings together economists, sociologists and psychologists to unpack causes of inequality and policies for economic mobility. Hosted by Steven Durlauf, Damon Jones, Ariel Kalil and Geoff Wodtke.
3. EQUALS: Reimagining Our Economy
This forward-thinking podcast features conversations with activists, thinkers and policymakers about reframing our economy from a lens of equality. Hosted by Max Lawson, Grazielle Custódio, Annie Theriault and Nafkote Dabi.
4. Culture & Inequality Podcast
Sociologists from various universities explore how cultural forces shape inequality—ideal for listeners who enjoy academic depth. Originally designed as a course module, it’s accessible and insightful.
5. The Homegrown Podcast
This podcast features down-to-earth interviews with everyday individuals—“homegrown heroes”—discussing inequality in the U.S. and how community history shapes current class dynamics.
6. Race Reflections AT WORK
Hosted by Guilaine Kinouani, this series reflects on inequality, oppression and workplace dynamics. Listeners submit dilemmas and questions, which are researched and addressed with thoughtful solutions.
7. Nice White Parents (and) Fiasco
While not exclusively about class, these New Yorker-highlighted series delve into educational inequality and systemic segregation—key class-related issues in education reform and racial dynamics.
8. The Promise
This award-winning narrative podcast examines disparities in housing and education through the lens of the James Cayce housing projects in Nashville. Season two focuses on school inequities and racial desegregation.
9. Freakonomics Radio
Broadly focused on socioeconomic issues, this long-running show explores the hidden stories behind everyday decisions—frequently touching on inequality, incentives and class dynamics.
10. The Class Ceiling (via The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes)
In a powerful episode with MIT’s Anna Stansbury, the show examines how having a Ph.D. doesn’t erase class-based disadvantages. It highlights persistent disparities in career outcomes, prestige and pay.