scholarly journals Global Fertility Chains: An Integrative Political Economy Approach to Understanding the Reproductive Bioeconomy

2021 ◽  
pp. 016224392199646
Author(s):  
Sigrid Vertommen ◽  
Vincenzo Pavone ◽  
Michal Nahman
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Commodity Chains ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Surplus Value ◽  
Reproductive Labor ◽  
Reproductive Services ◽  
Political Economy Approach

Over the last two decades, social scientists across disciplines have been researching how value is extracted and governed in the reproductive bioeconomy, which broadly refers to the various ways reproductive tissues, bodies, services, customers, workers, and data are inserted into capitalist modes of accumulation. While many of these studies are empirically grounded in single country–based analyses, this paper proposes an integrative political economy framework, structured around the concept of “global fertility chains.” The latter articulates the reproductive bioeconomy as a nexus of intraconnected practices, operations, and transactions between enterprises, states, and households across the globe, through which reproductive services and commodities are produced, distributed, and consumed. Employing a diffractive reading of the literature on commodity chains and care chains, this unified approach scrutinizes the coproduction of value, biology, and technoscience and their governance mechanisms in the accumulation of capital by taking into account (1) the unevenly developed geographies of global fertility chains, (2) their reliance on women’s waged and unwaged reproductive labor, and (3) the networked role of multiple actors at multiple scales without losing sight of the (4) constitutive role of (supra)national states in creating demand, organizing supply, and accommodating the distribution of surplus value. We empirically ground this integrative political economy approach of the reproductive bioeconomy through collaborative, multisited fieldwork on transnational reproduction networks in Israel/Palestine, Romania, Georgia, and Spain.

scholarly journals “Campesinos” and the crisis of modernization in Latin America

1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Loker
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Rural Poor ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Economic Trends ◽  
Common Problems

This paper examines the effects of recent political and economic trends on the wellbeing of campesino communities in Latin America. After briefly reviewing the appropriateness of the term “campesino” in the rapidly changing political economy of Latin America, the article concludes that there is an identifiable group of people for whom the term campesino is appropriate and that members of campesino communities face common problems. Many analysts agree that campesino communities face interlocking social and economic crises with important consequences for the environment and the continued viability of their livelihoods. The paper analyzes these crises and their origins in the historical neglect of the rural poor. The paper concludes with some suggested actions to ameliorate these conditions, with special attention to the role of social scientists in this process.Key words: campesino, Latin America, environment, social scientists.

scholarly journals Critical Surveillance Studies in the Information Society

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 566-592
Author(s):  
Thomas Allmer
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Information Society ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Surveillance Studies ◽  
Modern Economy ◽  
Political Economy Approach

The overall aim of this paper is to clarify how we can theorize and systemize economic surveillance. Surveillance studies scholars like David Lyon stress that economic surveillance such as monitoring consumers or the workplace are central aspects of surveillance societies. The approach that is advanced in this work recognizes the importance of the role of the economy in contemporary surveillance societies. The paper at hand constructs theoretically founded typologies in order to systemize the existing literature of surveillance studies and to analyze examples of surveillance. Therefore, it mainly is a theoretical approach combined with illustrative examples. This contribution contains a systematic discussion of the state of the art of surveillance and clarifies how different notions treat economic aspects of surveillance. In this work it is argued that the existing literature is insufficient for studying economic surveillance. In contrast, a typology of surveillance in the modern economy, which is based on foundations of a political economy approach, allows providing a systematic analysis of economic surveillance on the basis of current developments on the Internet. Finally, some political recommendations are drawn in order to overcome economic surveillance. This contribution can be fruitful for scholars who want to undertake a systematic analysis of surveillance in the modern economy and who want to study the field of surveillance critically.

Low carbon transition – potentials and limitations for tour operators

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Stroebel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Consumer Interests ◽  
Productive Environment ◽  
Political Economy Approach

There is little doubt that emissions from tourism must be reduced. A low carbon transition tends to be debated within the existing growth-centred and fossil fuel-driven political economy; this offers potentials but also sets limitations. The role of businesses in climate change is complex. From a political economy perspective, businesses are crucial actors in reducing emissions, simply through their decisions around products and operations. Yet a political economy approach also sees governance and business as interlinked. Businesses can influence governance, though they do not shape rules and norms in isolation. They are influenced by the dynamic regulatory, discursive, technological, and productive environment, in which they operate. This case study provides evidence from tour operators, which are addressing emissions from their products and operations, but also demonstrates that the context in which tourism businesses operate sets limitations to how much change may be implemented. The chapter argues that debates around a low carbon transition for tourism need to take into consideration the complexity of corporate, economic, environmental, political, and consumer interests and their links and interactions.

Economic Inequality and News Media

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
News Media ◽  
Economic Inequality ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Mainstream Economics ◽  
Journalism Studies ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Blind Spots

Despite the rediscovery of the inequality topic by economists and other social scientists in recent times, relatively little is known about how economic inequality is mediated to the wider public. That is precisely where this book steps in: it examines how mainstream news media discuss, respond to, and engage with such important trends. The book addresses significant ‘blind spots’ in the two disciplinary areas most related to this book—political economy and media/journalism studies. Firstly, key issues related to economic inequalities tend to be neglected in media and journalism studies field. Secondly, mainstream economics have paid relatively little attention to the evolving scope and role of mediated communication.

scholarly journals Critical Surveillance Studies in the Information Society

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 566-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Allmer
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Information Society ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Surveillance Studies ◽  
Modern Economy ◽  
Political Economy Approach

The overall aim of this paper is to clarify how we can theorize and systemize economic surveillance. Surveillance studies scholars like David Lyon stress that economic surveillance such as monitoring consumers or the workplace are central aspects of surveillance societies. The approach that is advanced in this work recognizes the importance of the role of the economy in contemporary surveillance societies. The paper at hand constructs theoretically founded typologies in order to systemize the existing literature of surveillance studies and to analyze examples of surveillance. Therefore, it mainly is a theoretical approach combined with illustrative examples. This contribution contains a systematic discussion of the state of the art of surveillance and clarifies how different notions treat economic aspects of surveillance. In this work it is argued that the existing literature is insufficient for studying economic surveillance. In contrast, a typology of surveillance in the modern economy, which is based on foundations of a political economy approach, allows providing a systematic analysis of economic surveillance on the basis of current developments on the Internet. Finally, some political recommendations are drawn in order to overcome economic surveillance. This contribution can be fruitful for scholars who want to undertake a systematic analysis of surveillance in the modern economy and who want to study the field of surveillance critically.

scholarly journals Towards Marxian Internet Studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Critical Theory ◽  
Class Struggle ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Communication Studies ◽  
Internet Studies ◽  
Surplus Value ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Media And Communication

This article gives an overview of example approaches of Critical Internet Studies and points out key concepts of this field. Critical Cyberculture Studies and Critical Political Economy/Critical Theory of the Internet are identified as two approaches in Critical Internet Studies. The paper also discusses the role of 11 Marxian concepts for Critical Internet Studies. Marxian concepts that have been reflected in Critical Internet Studies include: dialectics, capitalism, commodification, surplus value/exploitation/alienation/class, globalization, ideology, class struggle, commons, public sphere, communism, and aesthetics. The paper points out the importance of explicitly acknowledging the importance of Karl Marx’s thinking in Critical Internet Studies. Marx’s concepts are today frequently used implicitly, without acknowledging and engaging with their roots. A critique of the approach of “Critical” Cyberculture Studies is advanced. This approach is compared to the approaches of Critical Theory and Critical Political Economy of the Internet. The difference between these two approaches reflects the debate about class exploitation and non-class domination between Cultural Studies and Critical Political Economy in Media and Communication Studies.

scholarly journals The Last Northern Cod

1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Industrial Capitalism ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Social ◽  
Northern Cod ◽  
Stock Assessments

Abstract: Social scientists in Atlantic Canada developed an incisive political economy of the region’s fisheries in the 1970s and 1980s and forged a sharp critique of Canadian fisheries policies. Meanwhile, fisheries scientists generated a series of stock assessments which substantially overestimated cod populations. After the collapse of the stocks in 1992, a number of reflective postmortems have addressed the role of the social and natural sciences in this resource failure. The present paper will attempt to construct a “political ecology” of the crisis from this corpus, one which does not, a priori, privilege industrial capitalism over cod ecology.Key Words: fisheries, cultural ecology, political economy, technology, Atlantic Canada, cod.

EU Member States’ National Quotas: a Political Economy Approach

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-158
Author(s):  
Gerrit Faber ◽  
Ton van Rietbergen
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Trade Policy ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Trade Restrictions ◽  
Member States ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Specific Position ◽  
Political Economy Approach

Up to 1993, EC member states could ask permission from the Commission of the EC to apply quantitative restrictions at their national borders, on the basis of art. 115 of the Treaty establishing the EC. The completion of the internal market in the EC abolished the internal borders, as a result of which the national quantitative restrictions became obsolete. We assume that the pressure on member states’ governments to apply these trade restrictions has not disappeared with the abolishment of the internal borders. For that reason we analyze the factors that may explain the member states’ wish to use the opportunity of art. 115. We use the political economy approach to trade policy. This approach has been introduced as traditional economics was not able to explain the widespread use of trade barriers by policy-makers. By taking into account the specific position of politicians and policy-makers, and the role of trade policy in the decision-making process with respect to social and economic policies, a better explanation of trade policy may be obtained.

Storing value: The infrastructural ecologies of commodity storage

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1101-1119
Author(s):  
Daniel Banoub ◽  
Sarah J Martin
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Vantage Point ◽  
The Political ◽  
Commodity Chains ◽  
A Value ◽  
Critical Human Geography ◽  
Commodity Storage

As Marx pointed out in the second volume of Capital, storage is a critical moment in the circulation of capital. Yet, despite the resurgent interest in the political economy of circulation, logistics, and infrastructures, commodity storage remains under-examined in critical human geography. This paper examines the “hidden abode” of storage by tracing attempts to control moisture and realize value in two different commodity chains: Newfoundland saltfish and American grain in the late-19th- and 20th centuries. Storing preserved codfish and grain presented different biophysical obstacles for firms, but both required interventions to discipline moisture to preserve and realize the value embodied in the commodities. Through our empirical work, we frame storage sites as infrastructural ecologies: complex, more-than-human assemblages that both constrain and enable the realization of value embodied in lively commodities. This paper contributes to debates on circulation, logistics, and infrastructures by highlighting historical geographies of storage as a novel vantage point from which to analyze the frictions and flows of value under capitalist social relations. By grounding logistics in a value-theoretical framework, this paper also contributes to recent debates regarding the value (and valuation) of nature in political economy, by highlighting the role of storage and realization in the nature–value nexus.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document