New Thinking: What is Political Economy?

Political economists are inspired to understanding the major challenges that face our society today: climate breakdown and global environmental change, workers' rights across global supply chains, the intensification of war, the rise of the far-right, public health crises and so much more. But what exactly is political economy? Is it a discipline, sub-discipline, field, approach, all of these, or none? How does it help us understand capitalism, history, our everyday lives?

Professor Andrew Hindmoor is Professor of Politics at University of Sheffield and Co-Director of the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI). Dr Liam Stanley is Senior Lecturer in Politics at University of Sheffield. Dr Natalie Langford is Lecturer in Sustainability at University of Sheffield. For this first episode, they join Dr Remi Edwards for a fascinating discussion in which they share their perspectives on what exactly political economy is, how they came to pursue it, and the role it has played in their research careers so far.

Papers referenced in the podcast include:

• Stanley, L. (2014) '‘We're Reaping What We Sowed’: Everyday Crisis Narratives and Acquiescence to the Age of Austerity', New Political Economy, 19(6), 895-917.
• Jessop,B. and Sum, N. (2010) 'Pre-disciplinary and Post-disciplinary Perspectives' New Political Economy 6(1),89-101.