Histories of Global Capitalism Forum

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In recent years scholars from across the disciplines have been interrogating capitalism’s histories with renewed vigor. Ranging from the institutional and structural to the social, cultural and purely rhetorical, studies have examined a variety of key actors and scales, from entrepreneurs, workers, firms and industries to nation-states, regions and global networks and systems. A growing number of research projects have problematized longstanding notions about the rationality of markets, the role of the state and the boundaries between humans and nature. Enriched by a diversity of subjects and methods, this scholarly community shares a foundational commitment to exploring how capitalism and its associated ideas and practices have changed across time and space.

The Histories of Global Capitalism Forum seeks to build on these advances while striving for greater inclusivity. While capitalism is recognized as foundational to the making of the modern world, the vantage points of the United States and Europe continue to be privileged. Developments in the Global South (Asia, Africa, and Latin America) are rarely given equal weight or studied on their own terms.

The forum provides a space for conversations about new research, bringing together emerging and established scholars with a strongly global focus. Building on strengths in several University of Maryland departments and schools (history, business, economics and public policy), we invite colleagues and friends from the university, the wider Washington, D.C. region and beyond to join us in an annual series of talks in varying formats. Watch a short video introduction to find out more about who we are and what we do:

To sign up for our mailing list, please contact the co-organizers below.

Co-Organizers:  

Mircea Raianu, Department of History

David Sicilia, Department of History

Affiliates: 

Rajshree Agarwal, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Serguey Braguinsky, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Patrick Chung, Department of History

Zachary Dorner, University Honors Program

Claire Dunning, School of Public Policy

David Freund, Department of History

Brent Goldfarb, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Julie Greene, Department of History

David A. Kirsch, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Quincy T. Mills, Department of History

John Wallis, Department of Economics

Colleen Woods, Department of History

Thomas Zeller, Department of History

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