Juliet Schor

Juliet Schor
Name	Juliet Schor
Birth date	21 February 1955
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Field	Economic sociology
Institution	Boston College
Alma mater	University of Massachusetts Amherst (Ph.D.), Wesleyan University (B.A.)
Known for	Work on consumerism, work–life balance, ecological economics
Influences	Karl Polanyi, Thorstein Veblen

Juliet Schor is an American economist and sociologist renowned for her critical analyses of consumer culture, working time, and sustainable consumption. A professor at Boston College, her interdisciplinary research bridges economic sociology, ecological economics, and labor economics. Schor's influential work challenges conventional economic growth paradigms, advocating for reductions in work hours and a shift toward more equitable and ecologically sustainable lifestyles.

Biography

Juliet Schor was born in New York City and completed her undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University. She earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she was influenced by heterodox economic traditions. Schor began her academic career with a faculty position at Harvard University before joining the sociology department at Boston College. Her early research was shaped by the intellectual legacy of Karl Polanyi and critical engagements with mainstream neoclassical economics.

Career

Schor's career has been defined by her tenure at Boston College, where she is a Professor of Sociology. She has also held visiting positions at various institutions, including the University of Cambridge. Beyond academia, Schor is a co-founder of the Center for a New American Dream, an organization promoting sustainable consumption. She has served on the board of the United States Forum on Sustainable Consumption and Production and has been an active participant in the Great Transition Initiative. Her advisory roles have extended to governmental and non-governmental organizations focused on climate policy and economic justice.

Research

Schor's research critically examines the intersections of work time, consumerism, and environmental sustainability. Her seminal book, *The Overworked American*, analyzed the paradox of rising productivity and increasing working hours in the United States. She later explored the phenomenon of competitive consumption in *The Overspent American*, linking it to income inequality and social stratification. Her work in ecological economics, including the book *Plenitude*, proposes a model of reduced market hours to foster ecological restoration and community resilience. Schor has also conducted empirical studies on the sharing economy, analyzing platforms like Airbnb and TaskRabbit.

Publications

Schor is the author of several widely cited books that have reached both academic and public audiences. Her major works include *The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure* (1991), *The Overspent American: Upscaling, Downshifting, and the New Consumer* (1998), *Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture* (2004), and *Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth* (2010). She has also edited volumes such as *Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the Twenty-first Century* and co-edited *The Consumer Society Reader*. Her articles have appeared in journals like the *Journal of Consumer Culture* and *New Labor Forum*.

Awards_and_honors

Schor's work has been recognized with numerous fellowships and awards. She has been a recipient of a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Her research has also been supported by grants from the MacArthur Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2014, she received the Andreas G. Papandreou Prize from the American Academy in Athens for her contributions to progressive economics.

Critique_and_impact

Schor's theories on work reduction and post-consumerism have sparked significant debate within economics and public policy. While praised by advocates of degrowth and ecological economics, some critics from more orthodox economic schools question the feasibility of her proposals for large-scale reductions in GDP-oriented work. Nonetheless, her impact is evident in contemporary discussions on the four-day workweek, universal basic income, and the Green New Deal. Her research continues to influence activists within the climate movement and scholars in fields like sociology and environmental studies.

Category:American economists Category:American sociologists Category:Boston College faculty Category:1955 births Category:Living people