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 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...
Call for Papers: People on the Move in Late Medieval Europe
SHOC member Bart Lambert is guest editing a special issue of the peer‑reviewed, Web of Science–indexed journal Histories on late medieval human mobility.
Vacancy: Doctoral Researcher in the History of Midwifery
1 – Working at Vrije Universiteit Brussel For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.
Foragency's second podcast series: The Foragers: Engagements beyond the Human
Following the success of the podcast series ‘Introducing Foraging: a podcast in environmental humanities ’, which ran from 25 November 2024 to 16 December 2024, the team behind the Foragency project is delighted to announce a new podcast series, which will run for the next four weeks.
Upcoming events
Practical info19/05/2026 - 18:00 - 19/05/2026 - 20:00Lecture by Prof. Dr. Andreas Malm (Lund University): "The Political Ecology of Charlemagne – Or, What, If Anything, Is Special about Capitalism?"
