Magnifying Spaces of Capitalism: Sources and Data of a Transforming World

Magnifying Spaces of Capitalism: Sources and Data of a Transforming World
Doctoral and Early Career Researcher Workshop
Madrid (Spain), 21-22 April 2022

YSI Organisers: Dr. Francisco Cebreiro Ares, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Dr. Damian Clavel, University of Zurich

The Young Scholar Initiative (YSI) Economic History Working Group and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid are organizing a two-day workshop on April, 21st-22nd. The theme will be "Magnifying Spaces of Capitalism: Sources and data of a Transforming World".

This two-day workshop seeks to provide an experimental space for the sound confrontation of various empirical studies painting better images of institutional and structural changes at heart in the development of early forms of capitalism. Following a successful first workshop that essentially discussed issues related to considering multiple scales of analysis in the historical study of economic phenomena, this second edition will primarily facilitate a discussion on the various and multifaceted sources best suited to facilitate research in the history of capitalism.

Its format will be divided into four sessions, as well as roundtable discussions. Each researcher will briefly present a pre-circulated paper (10 min), followed by the comments of a pre-assigned commentator. The latter will, however, not necessarily come from the researchers’ historical disciplines. Rather than focusing on their differences, commentators will be responsible, from their point of view, for presenting the elements linking the papers together, and to their respective discipline. This is an opportunity for early-stage researchers to get feedback on their work not only from a specialised audience, but from a transdisciplinary perspective as well.

We are inviting source-driven research concerned with any aspects of economic and political history (defined as broadly as possible), from any period, in any geographical region. We are especially interested in studies that are at the crossroads of different scales of analysis and mobilize diverse and original sets of sources (e.g., written, oral, material, quantitative, qualitative, spatial). Please send an email to magnifyingspacescapitalism@gmail.com to submit your CV and presentation proposal. The proposal should include a clear statement of the paper's thesis and an illustration of the methodology and sources utilized (maximum 1000 words). The submission deadline is 16th January 2022. Invitation letters will be sent to selected participants by the end of January. Selected participants will then have to provide a full working paper by mid-March 2022.

There will be limited funding from YSI for European and international participants. Please mention in your application if you need funding and where you would be flying from. On-site accommodation and meals will be provided for the duration of the event. All sanitary measures will be taken to ensure the proper holding of this event. If necessary, hybrid participation (on-site and online) will also be considered.