To a very large extent, there is no such thing as capitalism. The notion has numerous, sometimes conflicting definitions, and it is used to account for contexts as different as Early Modern merchant activity and today's financial markets. Capitalism is not an easily identifiable and unified whole. The aim of this course is to provide students with a clearer understanding of what the notion actually entails, through a structured exploration of the historical and sociological literature on capitalism, both classical and recent.
Following two introductory sessions which respectively survey existing definitions of capitalism and explanations for its “rise,” the course proceeds analytically, by focusing on a series of distinct aspects of capitalism as it is often portrayed, i.e. markets, production, finance, money, corporations, work, transportation, communication, law and the state.
Each of these aspects will be considered, one after the other, through the social and historical study of specific material devices, ranging from double-entry bookkeeping to high-frequency trading, from grain elevators to the supermarket, or from patents to employment contracts. The analysis of these instruments reveals the historically shifting social and economic relationships that make up what we call capitalism.
Martin GIRAUDEAU
Cours magistral seul
English
Spring 2021-2022
To validate the course, students are expected to earn a final grade of at least 50/100. The final grade is the sum of three grades:
1. An individual comprehension grade, out of 40, based on a written midterm test;
2. A group project grade, out of 60, based on the completion, in groups of 4 or 5 students, of a dossier and related podcast summarizing one of the sessions.
Further details on each of these assessments will be provided in the first session.
It should be noted that the purpose of these assessments is not in any way to punish the students, but to incite them to actively engage with the course and its contents, so as to make it a pleasant and stimulating experience for all. The group project is especially important in this regard. Thanks to it, each student will leave the course with a little book and series of podcasts summarizing the core lessons learnt on the historical sociology of capitalism.
At the end of the course, the student is expected to :
1°) Know and understand the key definitions of capitalism, as well as those of related concepts (market economy, financialization, globalization, etc.);
2°) Have a detailed empirical understanding of some key episodes in the history of capitalism;
3°) Be able to critically assess new readings on capitalism and its history.
The course is organized in six four-hour meetings, divided each in two two-hour sessions. Every weekly meeting includes periods of lecturing, groupwork, debate and assessment.
A key objective of the course is for the students to thoroughly engage with the required readings, that is that they read them carefully, but also analyze and discuss them. Some readings will be assigned as homework; short texts will also be read in class.
Capitalism: A Short History – Jürgen Kocka – Princeton University Press – 2016
Capitalism Takes Command: The Social Transformation of Nineteenth Century America – Michael Zakim and Gary J. Kornblith – University of Chicago Press – 2012