For at least a decade, scholarship on capitalist diversity was inextricably associated with the emblematic 'Varieties of Capitalism' perspective. However, the subsequent debate has exposed the manifold flaws of this approach, flaws that the global economic crisis after 2008 has made ever more obvious. Comparative political economists are therefore searching for new directions in Comparative Capitalisms research in order to come to terms with the multi-faceted reality of contemporary capitalism. While some do so through a renewal of institutionalist theory, others seek to (re-)introduce critical - including neo-Marxist, feminist and post/decolonial - perspectives. This collection presents the first sustained dialogue between these post-VoC and critical approaches, one that engages both long-standing protagonists in debates on capitalist diversity and a younger generation of scholars, from Europe and the Americas. Its main objective is that of contributing to the development of a new generation of Comparative Capitalisms scholarship.
Industry Reviews
'Charting new directions, developing new perspectives, and bringing new energy to the field of comparative capitalisms research, this innovative collection presents a radical challenge to intellectual path dependency. In the best traditions of critical and heterodox scholarship, it opens up and illuminates the horizon-not only with new analytical formulations but with new political-economic imaginaries as well.' - Jamie Peck, University of British Columbia, Canada 'With its invaluable and up-to-date effort to change the way we do research on capitalism, this edited collection is a breath of fresh air and a much needed contribution to a long-standing debate ... a highly stimulating and timely book which opens up a research agenda that is both pertinent and necessary.' - Ramiro Fernandez, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina 'New Directions in Comparative Capitalisms Research sets a refreshing, bold agenda for critical research into capitalist diversity. By turns confrontational, reflective, and forward-thinking, it should be read by everyone now grappling with understanding the evolving nature of capitalism in the contemporary world.' - Juliet Johnson, McGill University, Canada 'New Directions in Comparative Capitalisms Research deserves praise by bringing the dynamic reality of a conflictual, national borders transcending capitalism back into the research on the Varieties of Capitalism. This splendid co-edited volume with its critical and global perspective is destined to become a point of reference in the search for new directions in comparative capitalisms research.' - Christoph Scherrer, Universitat Kassel, Germany
