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 team wins VUB staff quiz!
Quiz champions! Once again, our SHOC members showed they’re experts in more than just history at the annual VUB staff quiz.
TVO students present their posters on Faculty research day
On 26 May, the Faculty Research Day @VUB brought together PhD students from the Faculty of Languages and Humanities for a full day of exchange, inspiration and academic discovery. It was a great opportunity to connect with fellow researchers and explore each other’s work.
SHOC celebrates third birthday with lecture by Andreas Malm
Last Tuesday, 19 May, SHOC celebrated its third anniversary with an inspiring lecture by Prof. Andreas Malm (Lund University).
New article by SHOC member Brent Huygh
SHOC member Brent Huygh has published his first academic article, titled "Commercialisation from below: the Brussels gateway roads in the eighteenth century", in the History of Retailing and Consumption. Click here to read the publication. Abstract During the early modern per...
