Looking at the past to understand the future
SHOC (Social History of Capitalism) is one of the recognized Large Research Groups of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Our core objective is to study the social history of capitalism from a bottom-up point of view. We conceptualize capitalism as a social process that exponentially boosted material production but also generated structural inequalities throughout the medieval, early modern and modern world. We aim to engage with the interactions and negotiations which shaped these outcomes, incorporating non-human, technological, and subaltern perspectives. Considering different contexts across the world allows us to disentangle the relationship between specific social configurations and the effects of capitalist expansion on welfare, social relations, migration and the environment in the long run, from the late middle ages until the 20th century.
Recent news
SHOC visits expo De Poorten
Friday, 9 May, a SHOC delegation visited the Poorten exhibition at STAM in Ghent. The expo shows how dynamic and colourful city districts arose around (now often disappeared) city gates. We were given a tailor-made guided tour by Tina de Gendt , curator of the exhibition.
JOB ALERT: new opportunities to come and work with us
The LOCO project is looking for 2 PhDs and 2 Post-docs in (bio-)archaeology, history, geochemistry, and digital humanities. This joint project between VUB, KUL, and UGent looks at the mobility of people, materials, and ideas in the Low Countries. Apply before 30 April 2025.
Contribution by SHOC members Anne Winter and Klaas Van Gelder in new publication: Wereldsteden van de Lage Landen
On 25 March 2025 - that is, today - the book Wereldsteden van de Lage Landen: Stadsgeschiedenis van Nederland en België was published. Several authors, including SHOC historian Anne Winter, recount fifty cities that were pre-eminent metropolises.
Upcoming events
Practical info-SHOC seminar with Giulio Ongaro (University of Milano-Bicocca) and Matteo Di Tullio (University of Pavia)
"Unequal mountains? Political inclusion, commons and local finances in central-northern Italy during the early modern period"
Abstract will be published soon
