RC 09 Programme proposal by Ulrike Schuerkens, Programme coordinator
RC 09 Social Transformations and Sociology of Development welcomes the topic of the 2025 (6-11 July) Forum in Rabat, Morocco. The Forum’s title is linked to fundamental issues treated in RC 09.
How to know justice in the Anthropocene? Solidarity is a feeling of unity between populations all over the world who have common interests and goals, who ask for justice in the Anthropocene. Confronted to a shared threat such as climate change, people will refer to solidarity to address this danger. The Anthropocene requires actions and cooperation between groups to reduce inequities within societies. Inequality within societies functions as a driver of consumption that damages the planet’s resources. Addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene requires solidarity between populations and institutions. Trust in governments, universities, research institutions and media is needed. Institutions should be accountable and fair. Solidarity among nations is also needed. Climate change is largely linked to activities done in the wealthy nations but also more recently in China and India. But the burden of climate change falls on the low- and middle-income countries. Needed funding must be given to poorer nations to undertake adaptation actions. Climate refugees from the global south must be welcome in the global north. Academic and scientific exchanges must be encouraged between nations.
By failing to accept these different tasks, we may transfer the negative outcomes of the climate change to our children and grandchildren. The Forum should thus discuss the current and near future situations and suggest global social dynamics and collective actions to navigate safely the Anthropocene. RC 09 sessions should focus on the above-mentioned topics, should discuss sociological fields such as inequality, trust, social media, gender, and obstacles in achieving global solidarity. Which sort of development is needed? How to respect local cultures and favour sustainable lifestyles and consumption behaviours? How can our professional organizations support these endeavours? How can we create opportunities to attain solidarity in the economy, in politics and culture?
We live in a global world where solidarity is needed to create justice in the Anthropocene.
Herkulaas MvE Combrink, Tobias Knedlik, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed Nour, Ulrike Schuerkens, Katinka de Wet, Karl Wohlmuth (Eds.). Business Opportunities, Start-ups,and Digital Transformation in Africa. Volume 23 (2022/2023) of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook.
Abstract
This book focusses on the issues of digital entrepreneurship, digital start-ups, and digital business opportunities in Africa. It investigates links between digitalization and development of productive capacities. It deals with business opportunities created by the digital transformation. It discusses the role of universities in the digital transformation process. It also presents book reviews and book notes. Country case studies include Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and South Africa.
How important are African cultures in the economic systems of sub-Saharan Africa, and Senegal in particular? The first part of this study analyses the Senegalese economy and the measures taken to improve this situation and the integration of the population into the modern economic system. The second part brings together case studies based on an analysis of the professional and personal careers of a number of entrepreneurs. They show how these entrepreneurs have been able to make their businesses profitable: certain sectors, neglected by the major international groups, are those in which a generation of people in their forties and fifties is investing. The professional future of a large part of the population therefore depends on businesses that we need to support and sustain in order to create jobs, generate growth, encourage innovation and initiate a transformation.
ROȘCA, Dorina. A Transnational Exchange Mechanism Among Moldovan Migrants in the Parisian Region. Exploring “The Post Office of Moldova.” In: Economy and Sociology, June Nr.1/2023. Pp. 7-18. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2023.1-01. ISSN 1857-4130.
Abstract
This article explores the exchange of parcels between Moldovan immigrants in Paris and their connections in Moldova, using 2017 ethnographic data from the Moldovan community in Paris. It challenges traditional push-pull theories, focusing instead on these exchanges’ social and symbolic significance. The study reveals how parcel exchange has become a social institution, maintaining ties between Moldova and its diaspora. Termed the “Post Office of Moldova” by migrants, this mechanism involves both commercial and non-commercial elements, integrating the immigrant community. The motivations behind these exchanges are analyzed through the lenses of reciprocity, redistribution, and altruism, highlighting their reciprocal nature.
ROȘCA, Dorina. In Search of a Lost Market: The Features of Moldovan Capitalism Today. In: Journal of Romanian Studies. 2022, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 83-104. DOI: 10.3828/romanian.2022.6. ISSN 2627-5325.
Abstract
This article examines the overlooked nature of post-Soviet Moldovan capitalism, critiquing the prevalent use of neoclassical economic theory by local scholars and NGO experts. It suggests that existing analyses often misalign with the realities of Moldovan capitalism, proposing instead a Polanyian perspective focused on the “logic of reciprocity.” This approach views the Moldovan economy from the perspective of reciprocal informal economic and social exchanges, as evidenced by monetary and in-kind transfers from Moldovan emigrants. The study highlights that Moldovan socioeconomic interactions are deeply rooted in local moral and social norms. Additionally, it explores how this reciprocity coexists with Moldova’s oligarchic political economy, shaping the unique dynamics of its capitalist system.
ROȘCA, Dorina. The Post-Soviet Moldovan Capitalism: Between Oligarchic Political Economy and Reciprocity. Post-Communist Economies. 2022, vol. 34, nr. 1, pp. 52-70. DOI: 10.1080/14631377.2020.1793583. ISSN 1463-1377.
Abstract
This article employs an interdisciplinary approach to explore the dynamics of post-Soviet Moldovan capitalism over the past 30 years. It begins with an analysis of the economic shifts in the 1990s, crucial for understanding later developments. The research uses Karl Polanyi’s economic integration framework to reveal Moldova’s socio-economic system as a blend of reciprocal and oligarchic elements. The study highlights how emigration and remittances have fostered a reciprocity-based economy, compensating for the state’s shortcomings in redistribution. Concurrently, the entanglement of state and private interests bolsters oligarchic dominance in key economic areas, influencing societal exchange and redistribution. This convergence of reciprocal and oligarchic forces has significantly shaped Moldovan capitalism.
ROȘCA, Dorina. COTOVANU, Lidia (coord.). Republica Moldova: 30 de ani în 30 de cuvinte. Chișinău: Cartier, 2022. ISBN: 9789975865630.
Abstract
This book addresses three key imperatives. First, it encapsulates the Republic of Moldova’s 30-year journey since 1991, using concepts that offer a comprehensive view of the era’s ethos. Second, it positions the Moldovan context within social sciences, underscoring its inherent heuristic value. This work aims to re-establish the Moldovan field, spotlighting its identity and research significance through thirty defining words, each affirming its research legitimacy. Third, our collective endeavour enriches the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological apparatus essential for exploring the Moldovan terrain.
Staines, Z., Smith, K., Plage, S., Lata, L.N., Fay, S., Zheng, Z., Reeves, L.S., Beazley, H., Kuskoff, E., Clarke, A. and McGowan, G., 2023. Social science as social action to address inequalities. Australian Journal of Social Issues.https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.272
Abstract
In its most recent report, the Academy of the Social Sciences Australia (ASSA, 2021: 10) identified social inequality as a “grand challenge” for the social sciences, arguing that social scientists have a pivotal role to play in “understanding, addressing and guiding us towards a narrowing of a two-tier society.” Nevertheless, the social sciences continue to be regularly positioned as “soft” and esoteric in relation to the natural sciences, while also sustaining disproportionate funding cuts. In this article, we—a multidisciplinary group of social science researchers forming part of the Inequalities and Social Action Research Cluster based at The University of Queensland (Australia)—draw on the existing literature and our diverse experiences to reflexively consider how academic social scientists might play the active role that ASSA foresees to address social inequalities into the future. This includes by countering the inherent imperialism of the Western academy itself. We explore the roles, barriers and tensions that social scientists face and conclude by offering a framework of key strategies to improve the translational impacts of social science research for addressing social inequalities.
Holtum, P.J.P., Lata, L. and Marston, G. Be your own boss The role of digital labour platforms in producing migrant masculinity (ies). In Migratory Men: Place, Transnationalism and Masculinities, edited by Garth Stahl and Yang Zhao. 2023. Routledge.
Abstract
A large proportion of low-skilled migrant workers use the personalised transport industry (such as taxis, limousines and ridesourcing) as an entry point into labour markets. This chapter explores the nexus of migrant masculinities, work and digital labour platforms (DLPs). Highlighting the ways in which DLPs capitalise on the precarity of migrant populations to exploit them for cheap labour, it draws on research from Uber driver-partners in south-east Queensland to illustrate how the platform both capitalises on migrant populations and serves as a valuable mechanism to validate migrant male masculinity. The chapter demonstrates how migrant men are able to construct a masculinity which is culturally validated in their communities as well as in mainstream Australian society. It presents three case studies to illustrate how masculinity is performed in a way that fosters unique hybrid identities.
Kuhn,C; Khoo, S; Czerniewicz, L; Lilley, W; Bute, S; Crean, Abegglen, A; Burns, T; Sinfield, S. (2023) Understanding Digital Inequality: a Theoretical Kaleidoscope, Postdigital Science and Education https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-023-00395-8
Floss, M; Abelsohn, A; Kirk, A; Khoo, S; Saldiva, PHN; Umpierre, RN; McGushin, A; Yoon S (2023) An International Planetary Health for Primary Care Massive Open Online Course, The Lancet Planetary Health, 7, February 2023, 172-178 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519622003072
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license..
Abstract Capital Redefined presents a unique perspective on the nature of “capital,” departing from the prevailing reductionist accounts. Hosseini and Gills offer an expanded perspective on Marxian value theory by addressing its main limitations and building their own integrative value theory. They argue that the current understanding of “value” must be re-examined and liberated from its subservient ties to capital while acknowledging the ways in which capital appropriates value. This is achieved by differentiating between “fetish value” created by capital and “true value” generated through various commons-based forms of coexistence.
The authors propose a defetishization of value by rejecting the commonly accepted idea of its objectivity. They introduce their “commonist value theory,” which redefines capital as both the product and process of perverting the fundamental commoning causes of true value into sources of fetish value. Capital is theorized through a “modular” framework, where multiple intersecting processes constitute a comprehensive power structure, a “value regime,” representing an unprecedented degree of the domination of capital over life. Their theory reconciles two apparently incompatible views on the notion of value. One view encompasses all inputs involved in capitalist value production and conflates intrinsic and commodity values. The other warns against this conflation as it treats capital as an entity tightly associated only with commodity production and wage labor.
The authors believe that establishing alternative forms of value creation based on normative principles of living in commons is crucial as an analytical base for criticizing existing power structures and economic systems. The book offers a theoretical foundation for transforming our life worlds toward “post-capitalist” futures. It appeals to scholars and students in various fields, such as political economy, capitalism, and post-capitalist studies, economic and political sociology, globalization, development studies, social ecology, and ecological philosophy.
Critique’s review:
The critical acclaim for “Capital Redefined” has been exceptional, with renowned scholars praising its substantial contributions to the reimagining of Marxian value theory through a commonist perspective with the purpose of tackling the challenges of the 21st century. Leslie Sklair, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, hails it as a “challenging contribution” to our understanding. Paul James, Professor of Globalization and Cultural Diversity at Western Sydney University, emphasizes its relevance to the future of human productivity. Ariel Salleh, Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Queen Mary University of London, appreciates its open-ended approach. William K. Carroll, Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria, Canada, finds it timely for our troubled times. James Goodman, Professor of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney, finds it essential for envisioning post-capitalist possibilities. Hans A. Baer, Principal Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne, describes it as an indispensable literary companion for those exploring revolutionary potentials. Jamie Morgan, Professor of Economics, commends its reimagining of value theory in the age of climate and ecological emergency. Ulrich Brand, Professor of International Politics at the University of Vienna, sees it shaping the debate about radical political strategies. Saturnino M. Borras Jr., co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Land Politics, calls it a thought-provoking exploration. James Juniper, Ph.D., Conjoint Academic at Newcastle Business School, applauds its potential to invigorate progressive research and policy development. These endorsements offer a glimpse into the depth and significance of “Capital Redefined” and are well worth exploring further on the book’s webpage.
Lata, L.N., Spatial Justice, Contested Governance and Livelihood Challenges in Bangladesh: The Production of Counterspace. 2023. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003350095
Abstract
This book analyses the key livelihood and governance challenges that the urban poor experience while navigating public spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Using data collected through extensive fieldwork in Bangladesh, the book contributes to the emerging scholarship of resilient cities, gendered space, spatial justice, and poverty in cities of the Global South. The book assesses the everyday politics of survival for the urban poor; how the poor negotiate different levels of formal and informal modes of power and governance; and the dynamics of gender. It explores how tenuous counter-spaces are created when these factors combine to provide a valuable framework for work in other urban contexts in the Global South beyond Bangladesh. Using cross-disciplinary perspectives, this book investigates the issues of human development, urban governance, urban planning and the gendered nature of urban space to outline how these issues enable or constrain poor people’s livelihood practices and their rights to be in the city.
Exploring debates surrounding placemaking and inclusive cities and their connection to poor people’s livelihoods, this book will be of interest to scholars in the field of Sociology, Development Studies, Planning, Geography and Anthropology.
Vth ISA Forum in Rabat Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene RC 09 Programme proposal by Ulrike Schuerkens, Programme coordinator RC 09 Social Transformations and Sociology of Development welcomes the topic of the 2025 (6-11 July) Forum in Rabat, Morocco. The Forum’s title is linked to fundamental issues treated in RC 09. How to know justice…
Herkulaas MvE Combrink, Tobias Knedlik, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed Nour, Ulrike Schuerkens, Katinka de Wet, Karl Wohlmuth (Eds.). Business Opportunities, Start-ups, and Digital Transformation in Africa. Volume 23 (2022/2023) of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook. Abstract This book focusses on the issues of digital entrepreneurship, digital start-ups, and digital business opportunities in Africa. It investigates…
Vth ISA Forum in Rabat Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene RC 09 Programme proposal by Ulrike Schuerkens, Programme coordinator RC 09 Social Transformations and Sociology of Development welcomes the topic of the 2025 (6-11 July) Forum in Rabat, Morocco. The Forum’s title is linked to fundamental issues treated in RC 09. How to know justice…
Herkulaas MvE Combrink, Tobias Knedlik, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed Nour, Ulrike Schuerkens, Katinka de Wet, Karl Wohlmuth (Eds.). Business Opportunities, Start-ups, and Digital Transformation in Africa. Volume 23 (2022/2023) of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook. Abstract This book focusses on the issues of digital entrepreneurship, digital start-ups, and digital business opportunities in Africa. It investigates…
Introducing our latest curated ceramics collection, that will bring a touch of artisanal charm to your home. Now available exclusively in our online store.
Ulrike SChUERKENS, University Rennes 2, France Matthew SABBI, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Board Members
Paul Mamba DIEDHIOU, Université Rennes 2, France and Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal Habibul Haque KHONDKER, Zayed University, UAE (Ex-Oficio) Su-ming KHOO, National University of Ireland, Ireland Hasan MAHMUD, Northwestern University in Qatar, Qatar Uddhab Prasad PYAKUREL, Kathmandu University, Nepal Matthew SABBI, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Ulrike SCHUERKENS, University Rennes 2, France (Ex-Oficio)
The Research Committee of the International Sociological Associatio 