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
New FORAGENCY publication by SHOC member Thijs Costers: “Banana beer in Belgian Burundi: a social metabolist history of intoxication (1916–1962)”
New FORAGENCY publication: “Banana beer in Belgian Burundi: a social metabolist history of intoxication (1916–1962)” In this exciting open access paper published in the Journal of Eastern African Studies , FORAGENCY PhD candidate Thijs Costers traces the ways in which colon...
Happy New Year from the SHOC Research Group!
We wrapped up the year with great end-of-year celebrations and even better memories. Thank you to our wonderful team and collaborators for a fantastic year! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year — Happy New Year from the SHOC Research Group!
Three new FWO projects for SHOC!
We’re thrilled to announce that three members of the SHOC research group have secured funding in this year’s FWO/Research Foundation–Flanders project competition.
New SHOC member: Lieke Bes!
Lieke studied Archaeological Science at Leiden University (Netherlands), with a specialisation in osteoarchaeology and isotope analysis of human remains. For her MSc thesis, she investigated diet at the late to post-Medieval village of Koudekerke in Zeeland (NL) through stable isotope analysis.
Upcoming events
Practical info16/02/2026 - 10:30 - 16/02/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Stephan Strunz
Air, Alleys, and Affection: The Politics of the Housing Survey between Basel, Liège, and Berlin
This paper traces the emergence, circulation, and transformation of a survey method that gained prominence at the end of the nineteenth century through the interplay between the Belgian traditi
Practical info09/03/2026 - 10:30 - 09/03/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Thomas Rommel (Bard College Berlin)
Intertextuality and The Wealth of Nations : Contextualizing Adam Smith
In 1776 Adam Smith, the by-then famous author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Practical info23/03/2026 - 10:30 - 23/03/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Hannes Ziegler (Technische Universität Dresden)
What was the State? Officiating and Litigating in Early Modern England
Research into early modern state-building has developed quite a bit over the past decades, lending more depth and complexity to such processes.
Practical info27/04/2026 - 10:30 - 27/04/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Katja Bruisch (Trinity College Dublin)
Burning Swamps: Peat and the Forgotten Margins of Russia’s Fossil Economy
What happens if we tell the history of the planetary emergency from the margins?
