YSI-CESE 16th CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL STUDIES OF THE ECONOMY

Overview

The 16th Conference on Social Studies of the Economy (XVI Jornadas de Estudios Sociales de la Economía, JESE 2026) will take place from November 9 to 12, 2026, at the Interdisciplinary School of Higher Social Studies (EIDAES) of Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The conference is organized by the Center for Social Studies of the Economy (CESE) and will be held in a hybrid format (in-person and online) to ensure broad regional and international participation. This edition marks the 20th anniversary of an interdisciplinary gathering that has become one of the most consolidated spaces of economic sociology in Latin America.

Theme

This year’s edition, titled “Economy and Society in Times of Authoritarian Right-Wing Politics and Digital Technologies,” addresses two of the most significant transformations of the present: the global rise of authoritarian right-wing projects and the growing centrality of digital platforms, algorithms, data systems, and AI in organizing economic and social life. The conference will examine how markets, states, technologies, and social ties are being reconfigured, and how these shifts affect work, finance, consumption, public policy, and everyday practices — with particular attention to the Latin American experience.

Thematic Axes

Discussions will be organized across six thematic axes:

1. State, development models, and strategic sectors
2. Markets, organizations, firms, and entrepreneurs
3. State, market, and the regulation of inequalities
4. Finance, debt, and society
5. Digital economy
6. Economy and gender

Who is involved

JESE brings together sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, historians, and economists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, France, and the United States, among others. Participants include advanced undergraduate and graduate students, fellowship-holders, early-career researchers, and established scholars. The organizing committee is composed of CESE researchers and members of EIDAES/UNSAM.

What to expect

Attendees can expect four days of paper presentations, panel discussions, and informal exchange around ongoing research. Working languages are Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Submissions open with a 250-word abstract (deadline: July 3, 2026), followed by an extended paper (4,000–5,000 words) for accepted contributions. The hybrid format allows researchers unable to travel to Buenos Aires to participate fully in the discussions.

Why take part

JESE is a rare space where economic life is examined not as a self-contained technical domain, but in its social, political, cultural, and moral dimensions — and where Latin American perspectives are central rather than peripheral. For early-career researchers in particular, it offers direct access to leading voices in the field, substantive feedback on work in progress, and lasting connections across the region.

More information: https://www.unsam.edu.ar/escuelas/eidaes/cese/ — Contact: cese.eidaes@unsam.edu.ar