2017 | Sven Beckert
Histories of Global Capitalism
The third Lucerne Master Class took place from 9 October to 13 October 2017 with Prof. Dr. Sven Beckert (Harvard University). The week-long event was the third of five master classes running annually from 2015-2019 under the general topic The Culture of Markets.
Prof. Dr. Sven Beckert on "Histories of Global Capitalism"
During the past few years, few topics have animated the chattering classes more than capitalism. In the wake of the global economic crisis, questions about the nature, past and viability of capitalism suddenly appeared on evening talk shows and in newspapers throughout the world, crossing most political boundaries. Partly in response to the contemporary debates, historians, ever attuned to the world in which they live, have rediscovered the study of the history of capitalism. In their work, they have insisted on the long-term trajectory of capitalism, have emphasized the great variety of capitalism both over time and in space, have focused on capitalism’s global connections, and, perhaps most insistently, have emphasized the political, social and cultural embeddedness of economic change. Their work has created a powerful challenge to some of the naturalizing tenets that are frequently found in the discipline of economics.
In this Lucerne Master Class we will explore some of these discussions, and try to come to terms with what this new history of capitalism is all about. Students’ own work will be crucial to our discussions, as are prominent texts from within what has become one of the most dynamic fields in modern historical research.
Sven Beckert | Harvard University
Sven Beckert is Laird Bell Professor of History in the Department of History as well as co-chair of the Program on the Study of Capitalism at Harvard University. His main focus lies on the history of the United States in the nineteenth Century, with a particular emphasis on the history of capitalism, including its economic, social, political and transnational dimensions. The combined examination of these dimensions is also at the heart of the monograph he is best known for: Empire of Cotton: A Global History (2014). Other pertinent publications include Slavery’s Capitalism: A New History of American Economic Development (2016), and The American Bourgeoisie: Distinction and Identity in the Nineteenth Century (2010).
The fourth Lucerne Master Class took place from 9 October 2017 until 13 October 2017 in a panorama meeting room at Hotel Seeburg in Lucerne.
9 researchers participated in the Lucerne Master Class 2017
- Marcel Brengard, Universität Zürich
- Sonja Dolinsek, Universität Erfurt
- Martina Eberle, Universität Bern
- Roland Hofmann, Universität Luzern
- Rachel Huber, Universität Luzern
- Zainabu Jallo, Universität Bern
- Clara Koller, Universität Luzern
- Denise Ruisinger, ETH Zürich und Hochschule Luzern
- Esko Suoranta, University of Helsinki
