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Call for Papers
MET Network 16th Research
Conference
Hosted
by:Economic and Social Transition Research Group - EST
Brighton Business School
The focus will be on Macroeconomic aspects, in particular Monetary and
Fiscal Policy.
Papers in both economics and management are very welcome. The area of
reference includes Central Eastern Europe and CIS. Comparative papers,
including the EU, especially 'cohesion countries' and other middle
income countries, e.g. Latin America, are also welcome.
Proposed papers should be e-mailed to Dr Jens Hölscher J.Holscher@brighton.ac.uk
no later than 15th March.
Whilst abstracts are acceptable, preference will be given to papers
(even in draft form).
Conference details:
•Friday 15th April 2005
•The Board Room
Grand Parade
University of Brighton
•10:00 till 17:00
For further information go to:
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/bbs/research/met.shtmlAnnual
Association for Social Economics,
Call for Papers,
Annual A.S.S.A. Meetings, Boston,
Massachusetts, January 5 – 8, 2006
THEME: Understanding
Living Standards
The year 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of Monsignor John A. Ryan’s
publication of A Living Wage: Its Ethical and Economic Aspects. Social
economists such as Ryan have long fought for a decent standard of
living, through paid work and welfare state supplements. Though best
known for his advocacy of a living wage, Ryan has also argued for higher
minimum wages, employee participation at work, reduced work hours, full
employment policy, improved race relations, and other aspects of
socioeconomic reform. The theme of papers for the 2006 meetings will be
how economies across the globe come to understand what constitutes a
living and how we can improve living standards, including balancing paid
work with family life and civic responsibility. Possible sessions could
include:
•An evaluation of the work of John A. Ryan and other social economists
who address living standards
•Improved quantitative and qualitative measures of socioeconomic status
and well-being
•The role of the public and private sectors in improving living
standards
•Policy proposals to reduce work time, improve earnings, reduce
inequality and discrimination, provide food and health security, enrich
work life, alleviate underemployment, reconcile work and family, etc.
There will be an opening plenary session, seven other sessions, and a
Presidential Address at the ASE breakfast by David George. Both members
and nonmembers of the Association for Social Economics are invited to
submit proposals. Also, anyone willing and able to organize a full
session with three or four papers and discussants on an appropriate
topic is encouraged to submit such a session for consideration.
A selection of papers presented at the sessions will be published in a
forthcoming issue of the Forum for Social Economics. To be eligible for
consideration, papers must be limited to 3,250 words of text with no
more than three pages of endnotes and references. Three hard copies and
one electronic copy of the final draft of the paper must be submitted to
the Forum editor by January 20, 2006. Each paper will be sent to two
referees.
Proposal Submission: A one-page abstract (including name, postal and
e-mail address) should be submitted before the deadline of May 2, 2005.
It is preferred that abstracts be sent by e-mail to Deb.Figart@stockton.edu.
Deborah M. Figart
Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Economics
Richard Stockton College
P.O. Box 195, Jim Leeds Road
Pomona, NJ 08240-0195 USA
JOINT SESSION ASSOCIATION FOR
SOCIAL ECONOMICS ANDTHE U.S. BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE NETWORK
Annual A.S.S.A. Meetings, Boston, Massachusetts, January 5 – 8, 2006
The U.S Basic Income Guarantee Network invites three or four papers and
discussant(s) for a joint session with the Association of Social
Economics.
THEME: The Basic Income Guarantee and Living Standards
The year 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of Monsignor John A. Ryan’s
publication of A Living Wage: Its Ethical and Economic Aspects. Social
economists such as Ryan have long fought for a decent standard of
living, through paid work and welfare state supplements. Though best
known for his advocacy of a living wage, Ryan has also argued for higher
minimum wages, employee participation at work, reduced work hours, full
employment policy, improved race relations, and other aspects of
socioeconomic reform. The theme of papers for the 2006 meetings will be
how economies across the globe come to understand what constitutes a
living and how we can improve living standards, including balancing paid
work with family life and civic responsibility.
The History of Economic Thought Conference this year is being held at
the University of Exeter, England from 5-7 September. This is to invite
you to submit a paper to the conference. Please send an abstract of your
paper (not more than 300 words) to John Maloney, at the address above
(as email text) by 30 April 2005. You will hear whether we are able to
put your paper on the programme no later than 20 May. If you want to
enquire further about the conference before sending an abstract, please
email the address above.
If you wish to attend the conference, please go to its web page, http://www.sobe.ex.ac.uk/conferences/historyofeconomicthought/
and download the registration form. Further details of the conference
will be posted on the webpage as they become available. If you are
considering attending but want more details of the programme first,
please check this page again after 20 May, the date on which the full
programme will be posted.
I hope to see you in September.
John Maloney, School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter,
Streatham Court, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4PU.
2005 History of Economic Thought
Conference, U.K.
The History of Economic Thought Conference 2005 will be held at Exeter
University from Monday 5- Wednesday 7 September 2005. The programme will
include a special lecture by Dr Geoff Harcourt (University of
Cambridge). The full progamme will be posted in May.
The cost of the conference is £195, to include accommodation for two
nights and all meals from tea on Monday to lunch on Wednesday (including
the conference dinner on Tuesday evening.)
If you would like to give a paper, please email an abstract (maximum 300
words) to J.Maloney@ex.ac.uk no later than 30 April 2005. You will hear
whether we are able to put your paper on the programme no later than 20
May. If you want to enquire further about the conference before sending
an abstract, please email the address above.
If you wish to attend the conference, please complete the registration
form and return to John Maloney, the conference organiser at the address
provided below. Cheques should be made out to "H.E.T. conference."
If you are considering attending but want more details of the programme
first, please check this page again after 20 May, the date on which the
full programme will be posted.
We have five bursaries which will allow Ph.D. students to attend free of
charge, so, if you are a research student, please say so, and include a
supporting letter from your supervisor, when you book a place.
Further information will be posted on this page as it becomes available.
‘DEVELOPMENTS IN ECONOMIC THEORY
AND POLICY’
July, 7-8, 2005
Bilbao (Spain)
The Department of Applied Economics V of the University of the Basque
Country (Spain) and the Center for Economic and Public Policy of the
University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) are organizing the
International Conference “Developments in Economic Theory and Policy”.
The Conference will be held in Bilbao (Spain), from 7th to 8th of July
2004, at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of the
Basque Country.
Papers are invited on all areas of economics. Papers must be written in
English. Accepted papers will be grouped in sessions. Every session will
comprise three papers.
Suggestions for ‘Organized Sessions’ are also welcomed. An organized
session is one that has been constructed in its entirety by a session
organizer and submitted to the Conference Organizer as a complete
package (title of the session, papers and session chair).
The final deadline to submit papers and ‘organized sessions’ is 31st May
2005. The Conference Committee will review and select papers and
sessions submitted for the Conference. Acceptance letters will be sent
out by e-mail by 10th June 2005.
For more information, you can get in touch with Jesus Ferreiro (ebpfeapj@bs.ehu.es)
or with Carlos Rodriguez (ebprogoc@bs.ehu.es), or visit the web page of
the Conference: www.eventia.org/developments
European Association for
Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEPE)
A Pluralistic Forum
Announcing the 17th EAEPE Annual Conference
EAEPE 2005 Conference
Bremen/Germany
November, 10-12, 2005
Call for Papers
A New Deal for the New Economy?
Global and Local Developments,and New Institutional Arrangements
For further information please visit the EAEPE website (http://www.eaepe.org/)
or http://www.iiso.uni-bremen.de/elsner
or
contact the local organizers:
Wolfram Elsner at: welsner@uni-bremen.de and Rebecca Schmitt
at:rschmitt@uni-bremen.de
For detailed information:
EAEPE_Bremen_2005_Call_for_Papers_2_05.doc
Top
Conferences, Seminars and
Lectures
The Centre of Full Employment and
Equity (CofFEE)
The Centre of Full Employment and Equity
(CofFEE) is pleased to announce its first Workshop of 2005.
Debt, money and budget deficits
Wednesday 23 February 2005
at The University of Newcastle
The Workshop will feature the following speakers:
Dr Tom Palley, a notable Post-Keynesian scholar, currently the Chief
Economist for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in
Washington. Dr Palley will be talking about debt and deflation.
Assoc Prof. Peter Kriesler, UNSW, will discuss effective demand and
Europe.
Prof. Bill Mitchell, CofFEE Director, will speak on the myths of the
intergenerational debate.
Dr James Juniper, CofFEE Research Associate, will present a paper on
modern theories of liquidity preference.
Participation in the Workshop is free.
For organisational purposes, if you would like to attend please register
online at:
http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffee/events/registration.cfm
The Post-Keynesian Study Group:
Special Meeting on Finance and Development
25th February, 2005 at the University of Cambridge
VENUE: Mill Lane lecture room 3, Mill Lane, University of Cambridge
TIMES: 2-6 PM
SCHEDULE:
Session 1: 2 PM-3:30 PM
PHILIP ARESTIS (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE) & HOWARD STEIN (UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN): An Institutional Perspective to Finance and Development as an
Alternative to Financial Liberalization
HA-JOON CHANG (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE): Financial Institutions in
Macroeconomic Management
Coffee Break: 3:30-4 PM
Session 2: 4 PM-6 PM
AJIT SINGH (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE): Shareholder Wealth Maximisation,
Stock Market and New Technology: Should the US Corporate Model be the
Universal Standard?
MICHELLE BADDELEY (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE): The Impacts of Armed
Conflict on the Evolution of Financial Institutions in Developing
Economies
SHAILAJA FENNELL (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE): Institutional Reform and
Financial Transition in Russia: an Evolutionary Perspective
FINANCIAL SUPPORT: thanks to the generous support of Triados Bank, we
are pleased to say that we will be able to reimburse travel expenses
(APEX
fares) for PKSG members and postgraduate students.
FURTHER INFORMATION: for further information please contact Mark Roberts
(mr10013@cam.ac.uk). Please also contact if you are interested in moving
on to dinner following the end of the meeting- just so we can ascertain
numbers and try to arrange something appropriate!
The New SPACE: The New School for
Pluralistic Anti-Capitalist Education
Teachers, speakers, and organizers include:
Stanley Aronowitz, Jack Z. Bratich, Stephen Eric Bronner, Silvia
Federici, Andrea Fishman, Jeannette Gabriel, Loren Goldner, David
Graeber, Charles Herr, Joshua Howard, Anne Jaclard, Andrew Kliman, Louis
Kontos, Joel Kovel, Raymond Lampe, Alan Moore, Bertell Ollman, Howard
Seligman, Seth G. Weiss
*******************************
UPCOMING CLASSES AND TALKS
"Capital, Volume I." Instructor: Andrew Kliman.
Tuesdays, 6-7:30 pm,
March 1-June 14. Tuition: $150-$180, sliding scale.
"Finance Capital, Fictitious Capital, and U.S.
Economic Decline."
Instructor: Loren Goldner. Tuesdays, 7:40-9:40 pm, March 1-April 12.
Tuition: $88-$115, sliding scale (cont.)
For detailed information and course
descriptions: The New SPACE
Top
Job Postings for
Heterodox Economists
Eastern
Washington University
The Economics department at Eastern
Washington University will be hiring for a full-time lecturer position
to start in the Fall 2005. This is not a tenure track position. HOWEVER,
the last four tenure track hires started out as lecturers in the
department. In fact, it seems to be the only way to get onto the tenure
track.
The lecturer will teach three courses per quarter. The pay is pretty
low, approximately $30,000, but the cost of living in Spokane is also
low. You can buy a pretty nice house on this income.
Before you delete the rest of this message, you should know that the
current department includes three heterodox economists, (four if you
count someone who thinks of himself as a Post-Keynesian), and two of our
traditionally neo-classical people are becoming so disillusioned that
they are moving toward the heterodox more each day. So this would be an
intellectually comfortable place for a heterodox person.
If you decide that you are interested in this position, you should send
your materials to the Chair of the Department, listed in the JOE ad
below. You should also let me know that you are applying. Since this is
not a tenure track position we are being somewhat less structured in our
search procedures. My email address is:
dorr@ewu.edu
Doug Orr
Top
Heterodox Conference Papers and Reports and Articles
The Americab Tragedy By Cyrus
Bina
An interesting article by Cyrus Bina: “The Americab Tragedy: The
Quagmire of War, Rhetoric of Oil, and the Conumdrum of Hegemony"
Please see attached:
bina.pdf
Top
Heterodox
Journals and Newspapers
Economic Sociology: European
Electronic Newsletter
The Newsletter is very interesting
and relevant to Heterodox economists and its website is http://econsoc.mpifg.de.
The editor of the Newsletter is Olav Velthus (Velthuis@dds.nl).
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: New School
Economic Review
Issue II, Spring 2005
The New School Economic Review is a student-run online journal of
critical Economics and Political Economy. The journal was initiated by
students of the Economics Department at the New School University to
serve as a forum for critical thinking in economics that includes a
multidisciplinary perspective encompassing all the social sciences.
Our first issue was a great success, with contributing authors including
Philip Arestis and Malcolm Sawyer
Ha-Joon Chang
Ejeviome Eloho Otobo
Ben Fine
Duncan Foley
Michael Heinrich
Massimiliano La Marca
Scott Moss
Robert Pollin
Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff
Diego Sanchez Ancochea
Luca Zamparelli
To read the first issue and learn more about us, please visit our web
page at www.newschool.edu/gf/nser
There is no single theme for the second issue of the journal. We will
accept articles on topics ranging from macroeconomics, development,
policy, reflections on the discipline of economics, analysis of current
events, political economy, philosophy and economics and others.In light
of his recent passing, we would welcome and greatly appreciate essays in
memory of Robert Heilbroner (whether they are anecdotal, reflecting upon
his intellectual legacy, or furthering it).
To submit, please email us at nser@newschool.edu
The deadline for articles will be Monday, March 28th, 2005. Articles
should be 3-10 standard, double-spaced pages in length. For further
style guidelines please see our submissions procedure at http://www.newschool.edu/gf/nser/submission_procedure.htm
Thank you very much,
The Editors, New School Economic Review
THE WORLDLY PHILOSOPHERS AT FIFTY
A Social Research tribute to Robert
Heilbroner
Guest Editor, William Milberg
Volume 71 No. 2, ISSN 0037-783X
www.socres.org/vol71/issue712.htm
In recent years, Robert Heilbroner planned a book to develop the ideas
presented in the new and final chapter he added to the seventh edition
of his landmark book, The Worldly Philosophers, now fifty years old. As
his health deteriorated and he was forced to abandon the project, he
proposed an alternative project in which a group of “thoughtful
(although not like-minded) economists” would instead respond to his
arguments. The result is this special issue of Social Research.
Sixteen world-class economists and philosophers have contributed to this
festschrift issue, extending Heilbroner’s discussion of the “great
dynamics of capitalism.” Some of their essays focus on the social
embeddedness of markets in the 21st century. Others examine the ethical
and political dimensions of contemporary economics and especially its
conception of rationality. A third group of essays provides an
assessment and critique of worldly philosophy as an economic method.
Together, these far-reaching essays explore the current state of
economic thought and the prospects for 21st century capitalism.
The issue opens with an introduction by William Heilbroner and contains
sixteen essays in four sections:
I. Heilbroner’s Methodology
Robert Solow: “Even a Worldly Philosopher Needs a Good Mechanic,”
engaging Heilbroner’s ideas of the purposeful end of worldly philosophy
Julie Nelson: “Is Economics a Natural Science?”
Susan Haack: “Science, Economics, ‘Vision’”
William Milberg: “The Robert Heilbroner Problem,” on Heilbroner the
classicist vs. Heilbroner the contemporary critic
Arjo Klamer: “Visualizing the Economy”
II. Worldly Philosophy and 21st Century Capitalism
Lester C. Thurow: “Do Only Economic Illiterates Argue that Trade Can
Destroy Jobs and Lower America’s National Income?”
Jan Kregel: “Two Views on the Obstacles to Development”
James Galbraith: “The Worldly Philosophers and the War Economy”
Ravi Baghirathan, Codrina Rada, and Lance Taylor: “Structuralist
Economics: Worldly Philosophers, Models, and Methodology”
III. Rethinking Markets, Rationality, and Choice
Duncan K. Foley “Rationality and Ideology in Economics”
Nancy Folbre “Sleeping Beauty Awakes: Self Interest, Feminism and
Fertility in the Early Twentieth Century”
Warren J. Samuels: “Markets and their Social Construction”
Anwar Shaikh: “The Power of Profit”
IV. Heilbroner in the History of Economic Thought
Robert W. Dimand: “Heilbroner and Polyani: A Shared Vision”
Mathew Forstater: Envisioning Provisioning: Adolph Lowe and Heilbroner’s
Worldly Philosophy”
Peter Bernstein: “The Worldly Philosopher Behind The Worldly
Philosophers,” on his friendship with Heilbroner since childhood
For William Milberg’s introduction and more information, visit our web
site at www.socres.org.
“The Worldly Philosophers At Fifty” is available through the Social
Research editorial and business office, 65 Fifth Avenue, Room 344, New
York, NY 10003, socres@newschool.edu, (212) 229-5776. For review copies,
please fax a request on letterhead to (212) 229-5476.
Cara N. Schlesinger
Social Research Journal
Managing Editor and Project Manager
65 Fifth Avenue, Room 344, New York NY 10003
Tel: (212) 229-5776 / Fax (212) 229-5476
www.newschool.edu/centers/socres
Political Economy Research
Institute Bulletin
The PERI Newletter of Research,
Policy, and Events
05.1 (January)
******************************************************
CONTENTS
(1) THE “MISFORTUNE 100” FROM THE PERI CORPORATE TOXICS INFORMATION
PROJECT
(2) NEW RESEARCH: OUTSOURCING’S IMPACT ON US EMPLOYMENT
(3) NEW WORKING PAPER: GUARD LABOR
******************************************************
The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) is based at the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst. For general information about PERI,
please visit our website: http://www.umass.edu/peri.
******************************************************
(1) THE “MISFORTUNE 100” FROM THE PERI CORPORATE TOXICS INFORMATION
PROJECT
PERI’s Corporate Toxics Information Project is pleased to announce the
release of its “Misfortune 100 Index”. The index is based on the
reported air releases of hundreds of toxic chemicals from industrial
facilities located across the United States. The rankings take into
account not only the quantity of releases, but also the relative
toxicity of different chemicals, their dispersion in the environment,
and the number of people at risk. The data on chemical releases come
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory
(TRI) for the year 2000. The inventory was established by Congress after
the chemical disaster 20 years ago in Bhopal, India, at a plant owned by
the now-defunct Union Carbide Corporation. The TRI data include both
deliberate and accidental releases of toxic chemicals in the United
States. Data on toxicity weights and population impacts are from the
EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators project.
The Misfortune 100 Index follows the October release of “Ohio’s Toxic
Twelve” – a list of the 12 corporations that emit the most toxic air
pollution in that state. Adding all facilities statewide, Ohio ranks
first among the 50 states in toxic air pollution, making it the logical
starting point for state-by-state rankings.
The release of the Misfortune 100 Index attracted substantial attention
from the media, environmental organizations, and corporations. The
Misfortune 100 has been featured on the web blogs Common Dreams (www.commondreams.org)
and Truth Out (www.truthout.org). Media coverage has included radio
interviews in Rochester, NY, and St. Louis, and newspaper articles have
appeared in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester is the home of
Eastman Kodak, #3 on the list) and the Toledo Blade (home of Dana
Corporation, #44). Stories also appeared in Air Daily and Inside EPA,
two Washington, D.C.-based publications.
Dana Corporation originally ranked number one on the Misfortune 100
list. However, this ranking proved to be erroneous because Dana
Corporation had submitted incorrect release information for one of its
facilities to the Environmental Protection Agency. This error has been
corrected in the latest version of the index – illustrating how the
Corporate Toxics project can help to improve the quality of data
available to the public, as well as its accessibility.
Environmental groups and officials at state environmental agencies also
responded positively to the release. They particularly expressed
interest in getting more detailed information for particular communities
and specific facilities.
Corporations reacted in various ways to the Misfortune 100. Many wanted
to know how the rankings were created, others expressed surprise at the
findings, and still others disputed the accuracy of the EPA’s data
(although not the accuracy of the “Misfortune 100” index constructed
using this data).
PERI’s Corporate Toxics Information Project builds on the victories of
the right-to-know movement. One enduring lesson from the Bhopal disaster
is that people have the right to know about toxic hazards to which they
are exposed. By making this information accessible to the public in a
user-friendly format, the Project seeks to engender public participation
in environmental decision-making and help translate the right to know
into the right to clean air.
PERI is seeking funding for further activities of the Corporate Toxics
Information Project. These include:
* An updated version of the Misfortune 100 index, using new EPA data for
the year 2002.
* “Toxic Twelve” rankings for all 50 states.
* Development of a new index to measure the extent to which toxic
releases disproportionately impact low-income communities and
communities of color.
* Publication of reports on specific regions, industries, and chemical
hazards, in collaboration with environmental advocacy groups.
* Development of an interactive on-line database that will allow
researchers and the public to access facility-specific and
community-specific data on toxic releases.
LINKS:
Read the Misfortune 100 Press Release: http://umass.edu/peri/resources/Misfortune100.htm
Go to the full Misfortune 100 List: http://umass.edu/peri/resources/Misfortune100table.htm
Read the press release for Ohio’s Toxic Twelve: http://umass.edu/peri/resources/Ohiotoxics.htm
Go to the Corporate Toxic Information Project webpage: http://umass.edu/peri/resources/toxicsinformation.htm
******************************************************
(2) NEW RESEARCH: OUTSOURCING’S IMPACT ON U.S. EMPLOYMENT
“Rising Foreign Outsourcing and Employment Losses in U.S. Manufacturing,
1987-2002” by James Burke, Gerald Epstein, and Minsik Choi
Foreign outsourcing, otherwise known as off-shoring, has become a matter
of intense public debate and great concern in the United States
presidential contest, especially in light of the large job losses
experienced by U.S. workers since George Bush became president. Yet,
there is a lack of good data on foreign outsourcing since the early
1990s. This paper presents updated measures of foreign outsourcing for
the recent period. Its main findings are that the share of
foreign-sourced goods in total manufactured inputs almost doubled – from
12.4% to 22.1%– in U.S. manufacturing between 1987 and 2002. Since the
early 1990s, outsourcing has accelerated in key industries and has been
associated with a loss of employment. In particular, for the period from
1997 to 2002, there has been a strong association between manufacturing
job losses and foreign outsourcing.
Link: http://www.umass.edu/peri/pdfs/WP89.pdf
******************************************************
(3) NEW WORKING PAPER: GUARD LABOR
“Guard Labor: an Essay in Honor of Pranab Bardhan” by Samuel Bowles and
Arjun Jayadev
THE new PERI Working Paper explores the economic importance of the
exercise of power and the resources devoted to this end. The paper
demonstrates the role of power in a modern capitalist economy, measures
the resources dedicated to the exercise of power using the concept of
guard labor, and documents substantial differences in the extent of
guard labor across countries. The authors go on to show a strong
statistical association between the extent of income inequality and the
fraction of the labor force that is constituted by guard labor. The
paper is written in honor of Pranab Bardhan, professor of economics at
the University of California, Berkeley.
Link:
http://www.umass.edu/peri/pdfs/WP89.pdf
RETHINKING MARXISM
A journal of economics, culture &
society
VOL 17 No 1 JANUARY 2005
IN THIS ISSUE:
SYMPOSIUM on CLASS and ITS OTHERS and RE/PRESENTING CLASS
Focusing and expanding class analysis
For detailed content:
Rethinking Marxism
RETHINKING MARXISM
A project of the Association for Economic and Social Analysis (AESA),
Rethinking Marxism (RM) has become recognized as one of the premier
interdisciplinary journals on the Left. Now in its seventeenth year of
publication, RM aims to stimulate interest in and debate over the
explanatory power and social consequences of Marxian economic, cultural,
and social analysis. For information regarding subscription, article
submission, contents of back issues, etc. please
click here.
Top
Heterodox
Books and Book Series
A Guide to What’s Wrong with
Economics
edited by Edward Fullbrook.
contributors: Emmanuelle Bénicourt, Michael A. Bernstein, Ana Maria
Binachi, Ha-Joon, Chang, Robert Costanza, Herman E. Daly, James G.
Devine, Peter Earl, Susan Feiner, Edward Fullbrook, Jean Gadrey, Donald
Gillies, Bernard Guerrien, Ozgur Gun, Joseph Halevi, Geoffrey Hodgson,
Grazia Ietto-Gillies, Steve Keen, Tony Lawson, Anne Mayhew, Paul Ormerod,
Renato Di Ruzza, Sashi Sivramkrishna, Peter Söderbaum, Hugh Stretton,
Charles L Wilber, Richard Wolff, Stephen T. Ziliak.
London: Anthem Press, November 2004, paperback, 323 pages.
For Detailed Contents
Three books published online, By:
Jacques Gouverneur
Dear
reader,
I take pleasure in letting you know that my latest textbook in Marxist
economics (2005) is available, both as an electronic edition and in the
form of a printed book. This textbook is the culmination – and also the
end point – of long experience in university research and teaching (some
35 years), combined with equally long experience in extra-university
training activities.
Access to the text
The book is available on the website <www.i6doc.com> in three languages
(French, Spanish and English) and, for each language, in two sizes : on
the one hand, an "A4" or "quarto" size (267 pages in English) under the
simple title "UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMY. The hidden face of economic
phenomena" ; on the other hand, an "A5" size (389 pages) with the
explicit title "THE FOUNDATIONS OF CAPITALIST ECONOMY. An introduction
to the Marxist economic analysis of contemporary capitalism". Except for
the foreword, some passages of the introduction and the bibliography
(included in the "A5" size only), the two texts are practically
identical. But I know that some people prefer an inconspicuous
presentation (moreover with less pages), and others an explicit one ; in
all three languages, every one can have what seems more suitable.
Each of the six versions of the textbook can be downloaded free of
charge from the website in question. The useful URLs for the English
versions are as follows :
- "UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMY. The hidden face of economic phenomena" (A4
size, 267 p.) :
http://www.i6doc.com/doc/a4economy
- "THE FOUNDATIONS OF CAPITALIST ECONOMY. An introduction to the Marxist
economic analysis of contemporary capitalism" (A5 size, 389 p.) :
http://www.i6doc.com/doc/a5economy
Each of the six versions can be reproduced and published freely, with no
royalties to pay (author's royalties or others), but of course without
right of exclusivity.
Texts in the A5 size are also available in the form of printed books.
These are published by Contradictions for the French version, by
Diffusion Universitaire Ciaco for the Spanish and English versions. In
all three languages, therefore, those interested have the choice :
either order the book (through the same website referred to) or
reproduce it on their own.
Contents and interest of the book
As a product of long experience in both university teaching and
extra-university training activities, the book provides a step by step,
clear and rigorous exposition of Marxist economic theory. It shows its
relevance for analysing the deep tendencies of contemporary capitalism
in a coherent way : extension of market production, globalization of the
economy, concentration of economic power, race for competitiveness, the
invasion of advertising, growth of subcontracting, increasing
inequalities, attacks on the environment, prolongation of the structural
crisis and unemployment, etc.
Each chapter is complemented with a summary, as well as a selection of
"theoretical" and "practical" exercises : the former are aimed at
checking the assimilation of the material, while the latter enable
readers to establish links between theory and present-day realities,
whatever the moment and country.
Thanks to its outstanding pedagogical qualities, the book constitutes a
first-class textbook for students and teachers, as well as for any
interested reader, even without previous knowledge.
At the same time, the book should draw the consideration of specialists.
On the one hand, it adopts and develops a definitely classical Marxist
perspective on most topics. For instance, it emphasizes the
contradictory aspects of reality, which are mentioned or underlined on
numerous occasions : this is the case, in particular, of the
contradictory aspects of wages and public expenditure and the
contradictory effects of neo-liberal policies. Similarly, it underlines
the basic influence of both productivity ("development of productive
forces") and power relations ("class struggle" or conflicts between
"class fractions") : both are simultaneously taken into consideration,
especially to account for the relative prices of commodities and the
stages in growth and crisis after the Second World War
Yet, within the Marxist paradigm, the book adopts (and justifies in
appendices) a number of non-conventional points of view. These
particularly concern the concepts of value, commodity and productive
labour, as well as the relations between wage and value of labour-power.
The non-conventional viewpoints adopted on these topics combine the
advantages of precision and simplicity : on the one hand, they make the
theoretical approach more rigorous and coherent ; yet, while justified
on purely theoretical grounds, they present the additional advantages of
making the theory simpler and allowing a much easier quantification of
various key-concepts.
While focusing on the sector of capitalist enterprises, the book also
examines all the other forms of production (enterprises relying on
self-employment, public enterprises, non-market public services,
voluntary organizations, households) : it shows their specific
characteristics and examines their contradictory relationships with the
capitalist sector. In so doing, it does not restrict itself to analysing
an abstract system but contemplates the actual diversity of a concrete
society.
You will find more details on the contents of the book at either of the
two URLs mentioned above. The item "download a free extract" gives
access to an eight-page document called "presentation of J.Gouverneur's
latest textbook". Pages 2 and 3 of the document in question mention a
series of interesting features, both pedagogical and theoretical.
Requesting your co-operation
To conclude, I would like to ask you to personally contribute to
circulating my original and multiform offer :
- for one thing, I invite you to forward this trilingual letter to all
persons who you think might be interested ;
- furthermore, if you have a personal website, or have access to an
institutional website, I suggest you create a link with the URLs
mentioned above (and possibly with those mentioned in the letters in
French and Spanish).
Many thanks for your co-operation!
Yours very sincerely,
Jacques Gouverneur
For Spanish and French version of the
text: SF.doc
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Heterodox Associations
Ideas website:
www.networkideas.org
Special website for development economists
of a heterodox persuasion;
The website contains pdfs of very interesting papers, some already
published but easy to get here, and others pre-publication long
versions, v. interesting.
'IDEAS has been established with the purpose of building a pluralist
network of heterodox economists engaged in the teaching, research, and
application of critical analyses of development.' - from its website.
"IDEAS" is the acronym for International Development Economics
Associates.
Heterodox Announcements
Capacity Building and
Knowledge Networking on Gender, Macroeconomics and International
Economics
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
We are writing to announce the third cycle of our program, Capacity
Building and Knowledge Networking on Gender, Macroeconomics and
International Economics. A central component of the program is the two-
week intensive course on Engendering Macroeconomics and International
Economics. The course will take place in Salt Lake City, University of
Utah in the United States from May 26- June 9, 2005. We are writing to
solicit your support in disseminating information to potential
applicants.
The program is being organized by the International Working Group on
Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics (GEM- IWG), an
international network of economists which was formed in 1994. The
program has two objectives: first, to engage with fellow economists in
order to enhance capacity building for research, teaching, policy making
and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics,
international economics and globalization; and second, to increase
knowledge networking on these themes by strengthening the intellectual
links among practitioners in networks working on similar issues.
The program is intended for economists, including advanced graduate
students in economics, as well as more senior academics, researchers and
those in government. Up to 30 fellows will be admitted to the
program. The fellows of the program will be required, at a minimum, to
have completed two years of study in an economics Ph.D. program and have
passed their qualifying exams, or have its equivalent such as a
master's degree in economics. These requirements may be waived only
under exceptional circumstances. Funding is available for up to 25
fellows. Priority will be given to applicants from the global South and
transition economies.
Attached please find an application form as well as announcement on the
details of the program, which consists of a self-study module, the
intensive two-week course, and a public conference. We are certain that
among the people in your network, some will be good candidates for this
program. As the application deadline for the course is March 4, 2005, we
ask that you kindly let them know about it and that you forward this
announcement to organizations, research institutes and economics
departments of universities. If applicable, we also ask that you kindly
post this announcement in your organization's website or newsletter. You
can find further information on our program at our website
www.genderandmacro.org. including information on the first and second
cycles which were implemented during 2003 and 2004 respectively. If you
have any questions, please contact us at
genderandmacro@lists.csbs.utah.edu or cagatay@economics.utah.edu .
Thank you very much for your help with this initiative.
Sincerely,
Nilufer Cagatay
Associate Professor of Economics, University of Utah
(on behalf of the coordinating instructors Diane Elson, Rania
Antonopoulos and Maria Floro )
For detailed information:
advertisement.doc and
application form.doc
Isaac & Tamara Deutscher Memorial
Prize
Each year, the Deutscher Prize is awarded for a book which exemplifies
the best and most innovative new writing in or about the Marxist
tradition. Previous winners of the Prize include Martin Nicolaus (1969),
Lucio Colletti (1973), Robert Brenner (1985), Ellen Wood (1986) and Eric
Hobsbawm (1995). The 2004 Prize was awarded to the second edition of
Mike Lebowitz’s Beyond Capital: Marx’s Political Economy of the Working
Class (Palgrave). Nominations are invited for the 2005 Prize. For
further information about the Prize, and a nomination form, please go to
www.deutscherprize.org.uk. ( email: asfilho@aol.com)
Dr Alfredo Saad Filho
Senior Lecturer in Political Economy of Development
Department of Development Studies
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom
Heterodox Queries
The Fondazione Centro Ricerche
Studi e Documentazione Piero Sraffa
The Fondazione Centro Ricerche
Studi e Documentazione Piero Sraffa, as part of its activities to
support research in the field of the revival of the Classical approach
to economic theory, offers a Senior Fellowship and a Junior Fellowship
for the academic year 2005-06, addressed to scholars (preferably from
outside Italy) interested in Classical political economy and the work of
Piero Sraffa.
The Senior Fellowship of Euro2,000 for a period of one month (dates to
be agreed upon) is intended for an advanced scholar engaged in research
on the subjects of interest to the Fondazione. The fellow will have use
of the facilities of the Fondazione and will be invited to introduce and
discuss his or her work in one or more seminars.
The Junior Fellowship of Euro7000 (plus travel expenses) entails
residence in Rome for a period of 5 months from 15 January 2006. It is
intended primarily for a scholar enrolled or about to enrol in a Ph.D
programme. Applications from scholars who already have a Ph.D or
equivalent research experience however will also be considered. In
addition, the Fondazione will admit other qualified students who can
fund their stay from a different source. Participants in the programme
will be expected to conduct readings concerning the Classical
economists, Sraffa's contribution and later developments with respect
both to the critique of Marginal theories and the revival of the
Classical approach. Short essays will be written on assigned themes and
discussed with supervisors fortnightly.
Applications must reach the FONDAZIONE CENTRO RICERCHE STUDI E
DOCUMENTAZIONE PIERO SRAFFA, VIA OSTIENSE 139, 00154 ROMA, ITALIA, tel.
(++39) (06) 57374037; fax. 57374254) by 31 March 2005. Candidates should
include; (i) a curriculum vita; (ii) a short description of the
applicant's research interests and published or unpublished writings,
with abstracts of those which relate to the lines of research supported
by the Fondazione; and, for the Junior Fellowship, (iii) a testimonial
by a senior scholar well acquainted with the applicant's work. For
further details, please write to <sraffa@uniroma3.it>.
Participatory Budgeting
Prof. Nick Gomersall request to
contact with scholars who have experience on Participatory Budgeting. He
is interested in the instances Participatory Budgeting to be found in
different countries. You may send e-mail to Prof. Gomersall at gomersni@yahoo.co.uk.
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