How and why did inequality develop? To answer these questions, archaeologist Tim Kohler draws on new, unpublished data from the Global Dynamics of Inequality project, of which he is co-director. Kohler will explain why inequality has long been a critical social issue and why it persists. Kohler’s presentation will include an examination of pre-Hispanic Southwest, including Chaco. He was a resident scholar at SAR in 1986–1987 and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

2014 Eric and Barbara Dobkin Fellow at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) Iva Honyestewa (Hopi, Diné) discusses pootsaya baskets, which combine both coil and sifter methods of basketry. Iva, who developed this unique technique while in residence at SAR, shares how her basket making practice has evolved over the past decade.

Author of The Poverty Paradox, noted sociologist Mark Rank will present a new way of understanding and addressing poverty and inequality in America. Rank will discuss a paradigm shift and a new foundation for a holistic and effective set of solutions to poverty and economic inequality. He has provided his research expertise to members of the U.S. Congress, the White House, and many national organizations.

UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality focuses on one of America’s most iconic and income-divided zip codes, Venice, CA 90291. Once a mecca for artists, outsiders, and a thriving black community, Venice Beach is now a site of heated battles over gentrification, homelessness, and lack of affordable housing. Featuring moving, personal profiles of people struggling to remain in their neighborhood and a fight over a proposed homeless shelter, UNZIPPED challenges viewers’ assumptions and humanizes the lived experiences of people caught in the crossfire of a growing housing divide.