Seeing Others

From internationally renowned sociologist Michèle Lamont, a game-changing argument about what we value and why How do we measure our self-worth? For many of us, it signifies accomplishment, self-reliance, and wealth. Decades of neoliberalism have driven our definition of success. Yet, as we have amassed more achievements, we have been overwhelmed and overworked in a world of growing inequality. Should we start judging others, and ourselves, differently? In this capstone work, acclaimed sociologist Michèle Lamont argues that it is time to move our focus from having to being. We will only heal ourselves by the power of recognition: by rendering others visible and valued. By drawing on nearly forty years of research and interviews, as well as new interviews with Gen Z, change agents, and cultural icons who intentionally practice and promote recognition, she shows how new narratives are essential to shifting our metrics of success to focus on respect and dignity. Seeing Others fills a gaping hole left by recent economic and psychological thinking, with its focus on nudging, grit, and constant striving, offering a powerful, sociological alternative. This book is a clarion call: it strikes at the heart of our struggles and illuminates an inclusive path forward.

Michèle Lamont is Professor of Sociology and African and African American Studies at Harvard University, where she also holds the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies. Lamont is the recipient of honorary doctorates from universities in six countries and has received international honours such as the Carnegie Fellowship, Russell Sage Foundation Fellowship, 2017 Erasmus Prize, and the 2014 Guttenberg Award. After studying with Pierre Bourdieu at the Sorbonne, Lamont emerged as a contemporary pioneer of cultural and comparative sociology, helping to define these fields as we know them today.