Call for Papers for the 11th Young Economists Conference 2022 “Political Economy of Power”
The COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent economic reshuffle, and the broader question of socio-ecological transformation put the issue of power front and center. Who decides how society and the economy will be transformed, and how can economists and social scientists ensure that the transformation will benefit the many and not the few? Not only the results of the reshuffle, but also the decision-making process will shape economy and society for decades to come.
Heterodox and radical economics as well as social sciences seek to analyze power dynamics that are central to the economic reality, but are often neglected in mainstream economic analyses. Research that leaves out the fundamentally unequal distribution of power – economic and political – fails to identify the decision set of the powerless, as well as action motives of the powerful. Especially when agents face crises and conflict, these omissions render economists powerless.
Can a thorough and multidimensional analysis of power structures shape a more realistic understanding of growth, crisis, and inequality? Can it also broaden our understanding of the gendered and racialized distribution of labor – productive and reproductive, unequal impacts of the climate crisis and differential stakes in socio-ecological transformation? We are convinced that a multi-disciplinary and pluralist approach is necessary to prepare societies in general, and the most affected parts of the population specifically, for the challenges ahead.
The Chamber of Labor Vienna, the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria, the Austrian Society for Pluralist Economics and the INET Young Scholars Initiative host the Young Economists Conference on October 7th and 8th 2022 as well as a pre-conference program on October 6th. We invite researchers in the early stages of their career (Master, prae- or post-doc) from all professions, especially economics, political sciences and sociology, to submit their work. We especially encourage female and LGBTIQ* contributors as well as researchers of color to present at the conference.
2-3 pre-conference workshops will take place on October 6th. One of them will provide an introduction to LIS data and presents avenues for research using LIS data for comparative inequality analysis.
The deadline for abstracts (max. 1 page) is May 15, 2022. The conference language is English. Participants will be notified of acceptance by July 2022, the deadline for the submission of (working) papers is August 30, 2022.
The conference is free of charge. Presenting participants will be reimbursed for train travel cost within Austria and may apply for accommodation subsidies. A restricted number of travel stipends for selected researchers from the Global South will be generously offered by the INET Young Scholars Initiative. An outstanding contribution will be awarded the Eduard März Prize of €1,000. Submission of abstracts and further information: yec@akwien.at and here.