Call for Papers
Rentier capitalism: contemporary forms of rent and its effects on capital accumulation, Paris, France, 10-11 June 2020
The States and Markets and Keynesian Economics working groups of the Young Scholars Initiative of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (YSI/INET), together with the Centre d’Économie de Paris Nord (CEPN), are glad to announce a workshop on rentier capitalism to be held in Paris the 10th and 11th of June 2020 at the Maison des Science de l’Homme – Paris Nord. The aim of the workshop is to discuss the increasing role of different types of rents (ground, intellectual, financial) on contemporary capitalism, bringing together both young and senior scholars working on these topics. Thus, there is two application process, one for young scholars and a second one for seniors (see below for details).
Motivation
The rise of intangible over tangible assets, real estate bubbles and financialisation are among the stylized facts of what has come to be called rentier capitalism. An era within capitalism in which rent-seeking and predatory capital drive increasing inequality and hamper productive investment and innovation. Everywhere in the economy we see various forms of rents becoming increasingly prominent: from ground rents in urban areas and cities, to intellectual and property-rights rents in pharmaceutical and ICT industries (among others) and, to a greater extent, the so-called financialisation of the economy that has relocated the old financial rentierism at the center of the stage. Coming ahead of the resilience of traditional natural resources rents, the expansion of these rising rents considerably drag on the trajectory of capitalism.
What are the overall effects of these rents on global and national economies? Can we clearly differentiate rents from traditional profits? Are these forms of rent changing the nature of contemporary capitalism? What are the similarities and differences with other moments in history? What type of legal measures and policies could revert rentier capitalism? What are –if any- the differential effects of rentier capitalism between core and peripheral regions? These and other questions motivate the organization of this workshop on rentier capitalism. Not only contemporary analysis will be welcomed but also explorations on how the concept of rent has evolved throughout economic thought and in economic history.
This workshop aims at gathering young and senior scholars working on the aforementioned topics in order to present our findings and, by using knowledge stations, build a joint research agenda that will be followed up with a webinar series after the workshop.
Confirmed speakers: Brett Chrisptohers (Uppsala University), Cédric Durand (Université Paris Nord), Sabine Montagne (Université Dauphine), Mary O’Sullivan (University of Geneva) and Ugo Pagano (Università degli Studi di Siena).
Young Scholars Application process and funding
• Send an extended abstract of 800 words
• Deadline for abstract: 1 March 2020
• Deadline for full papers: 30 April 2020
• Submit your applications by filling out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl7wE2bqnrEbx0hT0xkiC8VWw7BvHjBLnfJnFeRzU4AHjhqg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Selected number of young scholars will receive accommodation (4) and a partial travel stipend (6) from YSI/INET based on their application and travel requirements. Interested students should have a valid profile at https://ysd.ineteconomics.org and state in their application their motivation for funding, country of origin and student status (Masters, PhD, PhD completed). There is no conference fee.
Senior Scholars Application process
• Send an extended abstract of 800 words
• Deadline for abstract: 1 March 2020
• Deadline for full papers: 30 April 2020
• Submit your applications by filling out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgo2adALudHzWb0OtW51Phaw68DMUlQA3gAh9ESgIB5UttRA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Neither travel stipends nor accommodation will be provided to senior scholars. There is no conference fee.
Workshop Venue
The conference will take place in the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris, 20 Avenue George Sand, 93210 La Plaine Saint-Denis.
Contact
Questions concerning this call may be sent to the organizers to the email
More information on the Young Scholars Initiative and the Working Groups may be found at the Young Scholars Directory: https://ysd.ineteconomics.org/workinggroup
