Many Americans today live in silos. Neighborhoods, schools, and even sports leagues offer few chances for connections among people of different financial status. As communities remain economically stratified, it is common to be surrounded by those who share the same socioeconomic background.
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is launching a new resource to promote bridging these divides and recognizing the value of economic connectedness. The new microsite explains why economic connectedness matters and offers guiding questions for community leaders and everyday citizens. It also features case studies of programs and places– from public libraries in Hawai’i to apprenticeships in Indiana – that are fostering cross-class relationships.
"American democracy thrives when people from different backgrounds have some understanding of one another, including their lives, their challenges, and their goals,” said Kathy Cramer, chair of the Academy’s Economic Connectedness Working Group which developed the website. “Community and civic leaders are often interested in creating meaningful connections across economic backgrounds, but they do not always know how to do so. This new initiative not only provides the rationale for economic connectedness but highlights replicable models from across the country.”
This economic connectedness initiative arose from the Academy’s cross-partisan, multi-disciplinary Commission on Reimagining Our Economy. In November 2023, the Commission released its final report with fifteen recommendations rooted in their shared desire to understand and advance an American economy that works for the people who make it work. Their recommendations included a call for promoting economic connectedness or building opportunities for cross-class relationships.
Research has shown how economic connectedness drives upward economic mobility for low-income Americans. These relationships are also vital ingredients in a vibrant and healthy democracy. While research has shown why economic connectedness is important, there has been less guidance about how communities and organizations can work to build these important relationships. The Academy’s economic connectedness website offers a path forward, showcasing clear examples of effective ways to promote cross-class connections.
The initiative will be launched at an event on September 12 that will feature a panel discussion moderated by Jessica Grose (New York Times) with working group members Russell Booker (Spartanburg Academic Movement), Kathy Cramer (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Lynda Gonzales-Chavez (YMCA). The event is an online conversation, to which all are welcome, and it will be available afterwards on video.