Visiting Sociologist Seeking Alternatives to Capitalism

Visiting Sociologist Seeking Alternatives to Capitalism

Prominent American sociologist, Professor Erik Olin Wright, visits New Zealand next week to talk about ‘transforming capitalism through real utopias’. 

The highly acclaimed author and Harvard, Oxford and Berkeley Universities-educated professor is in NZ for a week as a guest of AUT University.  During that time he will give academic talks, and mentor AUT University masters students.

His research focuses on the study of class, and alternatives to capitalism.  He says the class structure in the United States has become more polarised with vast increases in the inequality of wealth and income. He’s also particularly focused on the changing character of class relations in developed capitalist societies.

“The wealthiest segments of capitalist class no longer have a stake in the wellbeing of the American domestic system.  In other words, there is a broader group who can purchase private substitutes for public goods so don’t have a strong interest in improving the domestic conditions.  For the working and ‘middle’ classes this has meant a stagnation of earnings despite increased productivity, and an increased vulnerability to changing economic conditions,” he says.

Professor Wright has been leading a project called ‘Envisioning Real Utopias’ which explores the creation of broad visions of radical alternatives to existing structures, especially alternatives to capitalism. He offers up an interesting list of ‘real utopia’ ideas, which mainly centre around the establishment of alternative and co-operative institutions.

ENDS

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