Welfare Regime and Capitalism: Housing and Pensions
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- Venue
- Online on Zoom
- Event type
- Seminar
About this event
The Series in Advanced Political Economy (SAPE) was launched in 2022, jointly organised by Departments of Economics at SOAS University of London and New School for Social Research (NSSR) in New York.
The world is seemingly facing the end of neoliberal era, with the rise of nationalist trade policy and stricter immigration rules. Yet, one thing has not changed: the lack of state provision of basic services and universal welfare. The working class continue to suffer in the face of the cost of living crisis and lack of affordable housing. Retirement is increasingly becoming a distant dream for the younger generation and a source of worry for older people, while pension funds are invested in the arms industry, real estate, and riskier assets.
Continuing from our conversations on inflation and austerity, we discuss the hegemonic role of the welfare regime under capitalism, which has been reduced to state subsidisation of poor wages as opposed to providing basic services and infrastructure. We focus on housing and pensions in particular, to understand the way privatisation and individualisation of these two necessities has not only made the lives of many working people miserable, but also to enrich the capital, becoming major channels for profit-making and accumulation.
The session will run with 1-hour panel discussion with Manuel Aalbers and Hwanhee Bae, chaired by Karthik Manickam, followed by a 1-hour open discussion with the audience.
Speakers
The session will run with 1-hour panel discussion between:
Manuel Aalbers, Professor of Human Geography at KU Leuven
Hwanhee Bae, PhD Candidate at Department of Economics, SOAS University of London
Chair
Karthik Manickam, PhD Candidate at Department of Economics, New School for Social Research
About Series in Advanced Political Economy (SAPE)
The Series in Advanced Political Economy (SAPE) was launched in 2022, jointly organised by Departments of Economics at SOAS University of London and New School for Social Research (NSSR) in New York. We have been promoting political economy beyond university walls and created a platform where academics, activists, trade unionists, and many others, could come together to discuss pressing issues and explore ways to address the multi-faceted crises of our time. As of October 2025, these lectures have collectively gained nearly 68,000 views on YouTube, in addition to the live in-person and Zoom webinar attendees.
We are back this year with new collaborators - Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (FREE) have now joined us to organise the Series, and the Series will be hosted by the UK's General Federation of Trade Unions Educational Trust (GFTU ET). Building on the academic and theoretical discussions we have had in the first 2 years, we now aim to connect them more directly with workers’ struggles. The objective is to reach a wider audience, particularly union members, leaders, and shop stewards through the GFTU’s broad network of trade unions in the UK and internationally. We would also like community and grassroots organisers to join our exciting debates on workers’ fights for a better future.
Please find the 2025/26 course programme below. All sessions take place at 6-8pm UK time.
Header image credit: Breno Assis via Unsplash.
