December 21, 2025

S03E54 - Rabea Berfelde on Socialisation

54 minutes

Rabea Berfelde discusses socialisation, its history and current socialisation movements.

Future Histories LIVE.

This episode is part of the ‘Future Histories LIVE’ format. For this, individual episodes are recoded live – that is, in front of an audience – at irregular intervals. This episode was recorded on August 6th, during the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland, titled “Economics as Resistance. Heterodox Strategies on Housing, Energy, and Agriculture against the New Right”.

Please support the Institute for Transformation and Economy Studies in making the Rethinking Economics Summer School happen, by donating here:

hhttps://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/people/rabea-berfelde/

the Socialization in Theory and Practice research project:

https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/projects/socialization-in-theory-and-practice/

the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland:

https://resuso.ch/

Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2025). (Re)-Imagining Housing as an Infrastructure for Social Reproduction. In J. Groos & C. Sorg (Eds.), Creative Construction. Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press.

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction

Berfelde, R. et al. (2024). Für eine Linke mit Plan. Luxemburg. Gesellschaftsanalyse und Linke Praxis. 1/2024.

https://zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artikel/fuer-eine-linke-mit-plan/

Berfelde, R. & Heeg, S. (2024). Struggling with and through Knowledge Production: The Campaign ‘Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.’s’ Attempt at Housing Definancialisation in Berlin. Critical Housing Analysis 11 (1): 105-114.

https://www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/struggling-with-and-through-knowledge-productio

Berfelde, R., & Blumenfeld, J. (2024). Von der Vergesellschaftung zur Planung und wieder zurück: Über alte und neue Debatten um Wirtschaftsplanung und Vergesellschaftung. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 54 (215), 177–193.

https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2119

Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2023). Radikaldemokratische Planung der Wohnraumversorgung? Das Vergesellschaftungskonzept von »Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen«. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 53 (212), 561–577.

https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2049

on the Bavarian Soviet/Council Republic:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavarian_Soviet_Republic

on the German revolution of 1918-19:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919

Backhaus, J., Chaloupek, G., & Frambach, H. A. (2019). The First Socialization Debate (1918) and Early Efforts Towards Socialization. Springer.

https://www.springerprofessional.de/the-first-socialization-debate-1918-and-early-efforts-towards-so/16761374

on Otto Neurath:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath

Chaloupek, G. (2007). Otto Neurath's Concepts of Socialization and Economic Calculation and his Socialist Critics. In: Nemeth, E., Schmitz, S.W., Uebel, T.E. (eds.) Otto Neurath's Economics in Context. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, vol 13. Springer.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6905-5_4

on Karl Korsch:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Korsch

on Otto Bauer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Bauer

Meyer, N. (2023). Otto Bauer on the Long Transition to Socialism. Left Notes.

https://www.left-notes.com/p/otto-bauer-long-transition-to-socialism

on Karl Kautsky:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kautsky

Vrousalis, N. (2018). Council Democracy and the Socialisation Dilemma. In: Muldoon, J. (ed.) Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge.

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351205634-5/council-democracy-socialisation-dilemma-nicholas-vrousalis

Blumenfeld, J. (2023). What was socialization? A look back.

https://sfb294-eigentum.de/en/blog/what-was-socialization-a-look-back/

Critical Theory Network et al. (2024). 11 Theses on Socialisation.

https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/interventions/11-theses-on-socialisation/

Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 1. New Left Review. 153 May-June 2025.

https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii153/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-1

Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 2. New Left Review. 154 July-August 2025.

https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii154/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-2

Muldoon, J. (ed.) (2018). Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge.

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781351205634/council-democracy-james-muldoon

on Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen (the Berlin Housing Campagin):

https://dwenteignen.de/en

Hoffrogge, R. (2024). Commons and Constitution: historical and legal roots of the German socialization movement:

https://sfb294-eigentum.de/de/blog/commons-and-constitution-historical-and-legal-roots-of-the-german-socialization-movement/

for projects on socialization in different sectors see also:

https://communia.de/en/

communia (2024). Socialising Energy. Lessons from radical housing campaigns in Germany. In: Buxton, N. (ed.) (2024). Energy, Power and Transition. Transnational Institute.

https://www.tni.org/files/2024-03/State%20of%20Power%202024-web.pdf

on the legal assessment of socialising the energy sector in Germany:

https://communia.de/energiekonzerne-enteignen-das-geht/

article 15 in the constitution of Germany:

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_15.html

for the draft of the socialisation law by the Berlin Housing Campaign see here:

https://dwenteignen.de/en/material

the Ackersyndikat:

https://ackersyndikat.org/

RWE & Co Enteignen:

https://rwe-enteignen.de/

Hamburg Enteignet:

https://hamburg-enteignet.de/

the socialist calculation debate:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_calculation_debate

the first socialisation conference 2022:

https://communia.de/en/project/socialization-conference-october-2022/

the second socialisation conference 2024:

https://communia.de/en/project/lets-socialize-socialization-for-climate-justice/

on anti-fascist economics:

https://www.exploring-economics.org/en/discover/anti-fascist-economics/

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https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e19-wendy-brown-on-socialist-governmentality/

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https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e10-katharina-keil-zu-vergesellschaftung-und-transformation/

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S02E29 | Max und Lemon von communia zu Vergesellschaftung und demokratischer Wirtschaft

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e29-max-und-lemon-von-communia-zu-vergesellschaftung-und-demokratischer-wirtschaft/

S02E23 | Nina Scholz zu den wunden Punkten von Google, Amazon, Deutsche Wohnen & Co.

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S03E32 | Jacob Blumenfeld on Climate Barbarism and Managing Decline

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If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help:

Democratic planning – an information website

https://www.democratic-planning.com/

Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1.

https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1

Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk]

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction

International Network for Democratic Economic Planning

https://www.indep.network/

Democratic Planning Research Platform:

https://www.planningresearch.net/

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Episode Keywords

#RabeaBerfelde, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #futurehistoriesinternational, #FutureHistoriesLive #DemocraticPlanning, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Capitalism #BerlinHousingCampaign, #DWE, #Economics, #Socialism, #Socialisation, #OttoNeurath, #AaronBenanav, #Transition

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