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cover of episode Michael Rosino, "Democracy Is Awkward: Grappling with Racism Inside American Grassroots Political Organizing" (UNC Press, 2025)

Michael Rosino, "Democracy Is Awkward: Grappling with Racism Inside American Grassroots Political Organizing" (UNC Press, 2025)

2025/4/21
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Michael Rosino: 我研究的重点是美国草根进步组织内部的种族政治。我的研究发现，尽管这些组织公开倡导种族平等和有色人种的参与，但在实践中，其成员和领导层仍然主要由白人构成。这种现象并非源于缺乏意愿，而是由于白人进步人士不愿与有色人种进步人士分享权力，导致了组织内部的种族不平等和权力失衡。这种现象在日常生活中表现为一种“种族尴尬”，白人成员往往回避与种族相关的敏感话题，并倾向于维持现状。有色人种成员则对这种状况表达了不满，并提出了改革的建议，例如加强内部教育、促进权力分享和更有效的跨种族合作。 我的研究方法是参与式观察和访谈，通过对三个不同地方分会的长期观察和与45位成员的访谈，我收集了丰富的资料，并对组织内部的动态和权力关系进行了深入分析。我发现，白人成员的习惯和思维模式往往阻碍了真正的变革，他们难以想象放弃对组织的控制，并与有色人种成员建立真正平等的合作关系。 我的研究结果表明，要实现真正的社会变革，需要克服这种“种族尴尬”，促进白人和有色人种成员之间的开放对话和权力分享。这需要白人成员主动反思自身的偏见和习惯，并积极寻求与有色人种成员建立平等的合作关系。同时，有色人种成员也需要积极参与组织的决策过程，并推动组织内部的改革。只有通过共同努力，才能建立更具包容性和有效性的草根组织，并最终实现种族平等的目标。 Stephen Pimper: 作为访谈者，我主要关注的是Michael Rosino的研究方法、研究结果以及他对美国草根政治组织内部种族问题的分析。我关注的是他如何通过参与式观察和访谈等方法来收集数据，以及他是如何分析这些数据来揭示组织内部的权力动态和种族不平等现象的。我还关注的是他对于组织内部白人成员和有色人种成员之间互动和冲突的分析，以及他对如何解决这些问题的建议。总的来说，我对Michael Rosino的研究工作表示赞赏，我认为他的研究对于理解美国草根政治组织内部的种族问题具有重要的意义，并为解决这些问题提供了有益的启示。

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Chapters
This chapter explores the author's background, research methods, and initial observations in studying a progressive grassroots organization. The author employed ethnographic methods, including fieldwork, interviews, and document analysis, to understand the challenges of achieving racial equity within the organization.
  • Ethnographic study of progressive grassroots organization
  • 15-16 months of fieldwork
  • 45-46 interviews with participants
  • Focus on tension, discomfort, habits, and routines related to racial equity

Shownotes Transcript

In uncertain times, confronting pressing problems such as racial oppression and the environmental crisis requires everyday people to come together and wield political power for the greater good. Yet, as Michael Rosino shows in Democracy Is Awkward) (UNC Press, 2025), progressive political organizations in the United States have frequently failed to achieve social change. 

Why? Rosino posits that it is because of the unwillingness of white progressives at the grassroots level to share power with progressives of color. Using rich ethnographic data, Rosino focuses on participants in a real grassroots progressive political party in the northeastern United States. While the organization's goals included racial equity and the inclusion of people of color, its membership and leadership remained disproportionately white, and the group had mixed success in prioritizing and carrying out its racial justice agenda. By highlighting the connections between racial inequality, grassroots democracy, and political participation, Rosino weaves in the voices and experiences of party members and offers insights for building more robust and empowering spaces of grassroots democratic engagement.

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