Organizers: Nicolette Makovicky (University of Oxford), Jörg Wiegratz (University of Leeds), and Dimitra Kofti (Panteion University)
Forming the culmination of three previous workshops dedicated to the moral dimensions of economic life in Eastern Europe, Russia and Eurasia (Oxford, 20-21/03/2019) and in Africa (Uppsala and Cologne, 14-15/06/2018 and 8-9/11/2018), this workshop sought to take a first step towards fostering cross-regional, comparative dialogue about the moral dimensions of capitalist restructuring and crisis, the dynamics of their contestation by citizens and social movements, and the historically grounded ‘globality’ of capitalist moralities. This one-day workshop followed straight after the end of “The moral dimensions of economic life in Eastern Europe, Russia and Eurasia” workshop (Oxford 20-21/03/2019) where discussions included themes on religion, work and production, entrepreneurship, trade, household and debt and brought out discussions about approaches on moral economy, on political economy and about doing ethnography in the context of global capitalism.
The convenors introduced the theme and reasoning behind the workshop, and this was followed by three sessions which focused around the key questions ‘why, what, and how’ to approach moral economy research from a cross-regional and global perspective. The format of the workshop was discussion-based; the invited speakers presented short position papers grounded in issues which were responded by a panel of discussants and the audience. There were 25 participants from all career levels working on different regions. The majority were anthropologists, but the workshop also drew participants from the fields of sociology, regional studies, and political science. We aim to publish our discussions in the form of a Journal Theme Section. The meeting was co-funded by the University of Leeds, by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and by the EASA Network Funding.
Roundtable I: Why Cross-Regional Research?
Challenge: What does a cross-regional focus on the morality-economy nexus offer to our understanding of global capitalism? What claims and theoretical advancements are we after and why?
Respondents: Dr Peter Bloom (Open University), Dr Theodora Vetta (University of Barcelona), Dr Jeremy Morris (University of Aarhus), Dr Carna Brkovic (University of Goettingen)
Chair: Dr Tijo Salverda (University of Cologne)
Roundtable II: What Cross-regional Research?
Challenge: What social phenomena (structures, actors, and practices) are ripe for comparative, cross-regional moral economy research? What can be gained from studying the moral-economic phenomenon of concern across countries and regions?
Respondents: Dr Tijo Salverda (University of Cologne), Clare Richardson-Barlow (University of Leeds), Dr Zuzana Burikova-Sekerakova (Masaryk University Brno), Dr Elisabeth Schimpfoessl (Aston University)
Chair: Dr Theodora Vetta (University of Barcelona)
Roundtable III: How Cross-Regional Research?
Challenge: How should we undertake such a project? What models and methodologies show potential? What are methodical issues to consider?
Respondents: Dr Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins (Aberystwyth University), Dr Veronika Siegl (University of Bern), Dr Chris Swader (University of Lund).
Chair: Dr Peter Bloom (Open University)
Final Discussion and Closing Statement
Dr Dimitra Kofti (Panteion University)
Dr Nicolette Makovicky (University of Oxford)
Dr Jörg Wiegratz (University of Leeds)