What Could Woke 2.0 Look Like?

The latest Woke craze wasn't the first of its kind, nor will it be the last. The Progressivism of the 1930s, the Counterculture of the 60s and 70s, Political Correctness in the 80s and 90s, and the Wokeness of the past decade all followed a familiar pattern. Each claimed to champion marginalized groups, yet their leadership primarily came from cultural elites who framed social justice in ways that reinforced their own status and power.

Though the specific issues and strategies of these movements evolve, they share underlying dynamics. By examining these dynamics, we can better predict how the next iteration of elite-driven social justice will unfold.

Patterns of Cultural Movements

Cultural movements tend to follow a predictable life cycle. They begin as a radical critique of the status quo, gaining momentum as they challenge outdated norms. As their ideas spread, they are absorbed by mainstream institutions, becoming commercialized and institutionalized. Over time, as participants prioritize their status within the movement, contradictions emerge, and the trend becomes rigid, performative, or even oppressive. Eventually, a new cultural force arises to counteract these excesses, ushering in the next wave of social change.

While many social justice movements originate from genuine concerns about inequality, they are sustained by self-interested actors—activists, academics, corporations, and media personalities—who mold the discourse to serve their own goals. Social media, in particular, accelerates this process by amplifying viral outrage and rewarding performative engagement. The inevitable backlash, whether real or manufactured, only strengthens a movement’s perceived legitimacy. Meanwhile, corporations and elites co-opt its rhetoric to appear progressive while avoiding substantive economic change.

A key tenet of Wokeness has been the elevation of "victim" status. By highlighting marginalized groups, the movement amplifies their struggles and raises the social status of those associated with them. Over time, this creates incentives for outsiders to claim affiliation—whether by exaggerating personal connections, adopting cultural markers, or reshaping their identities to align with the movement’s narratives.

Given these recurring patterns, the next phase of elite-driven social justice will likely emerge with similar strategies but different priorities and cultural battles. Below are speculations on key issues that may define or augment the next generation of activism, in decreasing order of likelihood.

Key Issues of Woke 2.0

1. Immigration Status

As nationalism rises and deportation policies become more contentious, immigration will likely become a focal point of activism. This mirrors how previous movements capitalized on racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender politics. However, rather than addressing economic or legal challenges faced by working-class immigrants, discourse will be shaped by high-status migrants—academics, media figures, and professionals—who position themselves as representatives of all immigrants.

Possible manifestations include: exaggerated claims of immigrant heritage, performative bilingualism, and discussions around "citizen privilege" and the "immigrant experience." Bilingualism, in particular, serves a dual purpose: it reinforces solidarity with immigrants while also distinguishing elites along an intellectual axis. A preview of this trend can be seen in the critical acclaim of Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language film set in Mexico featuring a trans character—praised in elite circles yet widely disliked by Latinos.

2. Arab- and Islam-philia

The Israel-Gaza conflict, accusations of antisemitism from the right, and the increasing wealth and influence of Arab nations will likely elevate Arab and Muslim identities within elite spaces. If Trump enacts policies targeting Muslims, as he did in his first term, Muslim identity could be cemented as a symbol of victimhood, making it central to progressive activism.

This heightened status may lead to high-profile celebrity conversions to Islam, the normalization of Middle Eastern aesthetics—including veiling—and the formal recognition of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as a distinct ethnic category. Muslim holidays and halal food could see wider mainstream recognition, embedding Islamic cultural markers more deeply into elite institutions.

3. Wealth Inequality

Growing resentment toward billionaires (especially Trump and Elon Musk), AI-driven job displacement, and previous contradictions within woke capitalism may reignite socialist rhetoric. Movements reminiscent of Occupy Wall Street could gain traction, advocating for wealth redistribution, unions, more progressive taxation, and universal basic income.

However, since Wokeness is concentrated among highly educated professionals who are already economically advantaged, the rhetoric will likely focus on the ultra-rich (the top 1%) rather than the broader upper class (top 25%), to avoid challenging their own power. Additionally, classism as a broader issue may be downplayed, as it undermines racial and identity-based narratives favored by cultural elites.

4. Single Motherhood

With abortion restrictions, attacks on welfare programs, declining marriage rates, and the feminization of the Democratic Party, single motherhood could develop into a major social justice issue. Debates over child support, parental leave, and financial assistance for single parents may become culture war flashpoints.

Culturally, single motherhood will be reframed as an empowered choice rather than a social problem, a shift in line with other "luxury beliefs" that disproportionately impact lower-income groups. Media portrayals will highlight single mothers as symbols of resilience, while conservative criticism will be framed as victim-blaming, further fueling engagement.

5. Lookism

As AI-smoothed beauty, social media filters, and American pop culture amplify unrealistic aesthetic expectations, activism against "lookism" may gain traction. Building on body-positivity movements, this would expand to challenge broader aesthetic biases.

Industries profiting from beauty insecurities—such as cosmetic surgery, fashion, and fitness—could come under increased scrutiny, with greater pressure to challenge conventional beauty standards. In response, workplaces may adopt blind interviews, and the fashion and entertainment industries will promote unconventional models. 

The normalization of veiling as a fashion statement aligns with this movement, as it can be framed as a tool for resisting patriarchal beauty norms. Male "allies" might even don makeup in performative solidarity, a trend cosmetic companies could exploit to increase sales.

While lookism is a real and powerful force in society, it has deep roots and a branding issue, making it the least likely of these issues to gain traction.

Woke 2.0: The Cycle Continues

Although elite-driven social justice will adopt new causes and rhetoric, it will retain its underlying dynamics; the specific "oppressed" identities may shift, but the incentive to align with their struggles as a marker of moral virtue will persist. However, whatever left-wing movement that eventually overthrows the current conservative excesses is unlikely to reach the same cultural dominance Wokeness once held.

The next generation of social justice activism is already forming, more nimble now that it's out of the public eye. Whether it takes the form of immigration activism, romanticizing Muslim culture, economic populism, glorifying single motherhood, or a rejection of aesthetic norms, one thing is certain: the cycle of cultural movements will continue.