Postcapitalism Podcast

In this episode, we’ll discuss why porn work should be regarded as similar to any other form of labour, how it gives us examples of pushing back against capitalist working conditions, and the ways it can inspire us to think about a better future. Our guest is Heather Berg, assistant professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at Washington University in St Louis. We talk about sex worker solidarity, how porn workers cross class boundaries, and why it’s okay to be lazy. 

In this episode, our guest is Ekaterina Chertkovskaya, a researcher based at Lund University in Sweden. We’ll discuss how corporations are responsible for acts of violence against the environment, their employees and societies as a whole – and how degrowth economics can inspire new ways of living and organizing.

In this episode, our guest is Cory Doctorow, a science fiction writer, journalist and technology activist. We discuss how to counter giant tech monopolies, move beyond the profit motive, and the concept of library socialism. We’ll also discover that Cory is probably not the best candidate to be an influencer for a discount home-improvement brand.

In this episode, we’ll be talking about how co-operative businesses that are owned by their employees could transform working life as we know it. We’ll be focusing on the state of West Virginia, which is most famous for its connection to coal mining, but is also one of the most economically challenged regions in the United States.

Our guest is Todd Nesbitt, a professor at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. We’ll discuss everything from black gold and the natural resource curse to an economic model called “distributism”. (We’ll also be trying very hard not to discuss a particular song by John Denver.) 

In this episode, we’ll be talking about the role of fiction and imagination in helping us move beyond capitalism, and how they can assist us in tackling the significant economic and ecological crises we now face. Our guest is Nick Lawrence, an associate professor at the University of Warwick in the UK. We’ll discuss everything from postcapitalist novels to how Walmart could be a model for socialist utopia, and the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit.

In this episode, we talk about the blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and how these and other technologies could help us move beyond capitalist ideas of value. Our guest is Hannes Gerhardt, associate professor of human geography at the University of West Georgia, who discusses everything from the role of money to the prospect of companies introducing their own digital currencies.

In this episode, we discuss how Christianity might contribute to moving us beyond capitalism and towards a system that is more moral, more equal, and that helps protect the planet. My guest is Dennis Hiebert , a professor of sociology at Providence, a Christian university located near Winnipeg, Canada. We discuss everything from the prosperity gospel and whether capitalism is a religion to why some atheists believe faith is vital to achieving major change.

The discussion in this episode focuses on how we can imagine different types of economy that prioritize things that are more important than growth, such as caring for each other, building stronger communities, and new ways of making decisions together. Our guest is John Clarke, an Emeritus Professor as the Open University in the UK. We talk about everything from Ronald Reagan to GDP, the idea of the commons, and whether modern capitalism can really be described as being similar to late-stage Joan Rivers.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing degrowth economics, an approach that challenges us to live in much more collaborative and meaningful ways. In doing so, we can take care of our needs, take care of each other, and take care of the planet.

Our guest is Anitra Nelson, an activist and scholar affiliated with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute (MSSI) at the University of Melbourne, in Australia. We'll be talking about everything from COVID-19 to tiny houses and the concept of conviviality.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing how the economy is not just numbers and people buying and selling things, but a story we tell ourselves. And by changing this story, we can change our lives, and begin to tackle problems like climate change, inequality, and social isolation.

Our guest is Melissa Kennedy, who teaches at the University of Vienna and the University of Education Upper Austria. We'll be talking about everything from hidden economic narratives to romance and the enduring nature of the American Dream.