IDEAS IN MOTION

This episode, based on a chapter from a book titled "Conscientious Sociology" on  Ali Shariati's Committed Sociology , undertakes a critical analysis of Shariati's intellectual framework to position him within the broader  committed-critical paradigm  of social thought. The text argues that complex phenomena like humanity and history cannot be reduced to simple inherent traits, c...

From True Value to Capitalist and Fetish Value Across Multiple Sectors

Sources of True Value vs Fetish Value in Food Systems

Mapping the actors and forces in the Austrlian food system

In this episode, we dive into "Mastering the Annotated Bibliography: A SOCA2400 Guide," offering a clear, no-nonsense walkthrough of this crucial assessment. Here’s what you'll learn: • What the annotated bibliography is and why it matters as a stepping-stone to your final essay. • The bright-line rules on academic integrity and AI usage for this assessment. • Tips on strategically p...

This podcast delves into the transformative journey of land's value , moving beyond simple market and state dynamics to explore its profound ontological shifts. Drawing on the insights of "Capital Redefined," we unravel the infra-processes of decommonization where land’s inherent worth – its "true value" as "place, territory, and ecological-social life support" –...

The episode discusses various challenges and critical perspectives within higher education, particularly concerning  racism, diversity, and the impact of neoliberalism . Several sources highlight how  systemic racism, deeply embedded in institutional and structural systems , perpetuates disadvantages for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic individuals, including students and staff, often through  de...

This podcast discusses the initial results of a literature review of research published since 2010 on the issues of corporatization of higher education and marginalization of culturally and racially diverse academic laborers. Conducted by S A Hamed Hosseini, the review aimed to explore how the literature reflects the way the corporatization of universities reshapes academic work and reproduces ine...

A Guide on How to Answer the First Question of the Second Assignment in SOCA3780 This episode, "Unpacking Capital: A Student's Guide to the Modular Framework," is your essential companion for mastering the first question of the SOCA3780 Second Assignment. We delve deep into capital's complex and multi-layered architecture , breaking down how it operates not as a single, monolithi...

Following our last episode on Chris Rogers' "Alternatives to Capitalism," this session is dedicated entirely to Wendy Harcourt's journal article, "The Future of Capitalism: A Consideration of Alternatives." At its heart, Wendy Harcourt's article reviews three distinct but interconnected approaches to discussing alternatives to today's neoliberal capitalism . Her aim is to explore "alternative visi...

Chris Rogers and Wendy Harcourt's Writings (devised by S A Hamed Hosseini) for students in SOCA2400 UON (commentary writing assignment)

When approaching Chris Rogers' "Alternatives to Capitalism" for your SOCA2400 critical commentary, the most effective strategy is to focus on the core arguments and Rogers' main conclusions rather than getting bogged down in every detail. Rogers aims to provide a clear rationale for moving beyond or reforming capitalism and then evaluates three different paths. Let's break do...

This is an episode designed to help students in SOCA3780 (Leading Social Change) with their first assignment. The primary focus of the podcast is to guide students on how best to write Part C of Assignment 1, while also touching upon the foundational concepts of Part B

This episode helps students in SOCA3780 to prepare their answers to Part B of Assignment 1. Here is a description for the episode to go with it on Spotify: Leading Social Change Unpacked: Mastering Assignment 1, Part B – True Value vs. Fetish Value Welcome to 'Leading Social Change Unpacked', your essential guide for SOCA3780! In this episode, we tackle Assignment 1, Part B: 'True Valu...

This episode distills the first three weeks of SOCA3780: Leading Social Change into the core arguments of the Commonist Value Theory (CVT). The course frames today’s interconnected “perma-poly-crisis”—climate collapse, inequality, democratic erosion, care breakdowns—as not malfunctions, but defining features of capitalism, rooted in the “unholy trinity” of capitality, coloniality, and modernity. A...

This episode focuses on Part A of Assignment 1 in SOCA3780, which lays the foundation for the entire conceptual analysis. Part A examines why integrating analytical and normative theories of value is essential for a critical engagement with capitalism. Analytical theories excel at diagnosing systemic problems and showing how capitalism generates crises and inequalities; however, without a normativ...

Commonist Value Theory: An Overview

The Yugoslav self-management experiment, while an innovative attempt to democratize production and foster worker participation, likely remained within the operational logic of capital to a significant degree due to its market orientation and interaction with the state. From the Commonist Value Theory's perspective (developed by Hosseini (2022, 2023) and Hosseini and Gills (2024), especially th...

This episode presents a conversational overview of the first chapter of Mariana Mazzucato's book, The Value of Everything.

What capitalism is and how far it has changed: A conversational overview of Chapter 2 of Jim Stanford's Book, Economics for Everyone According to Stanford, while capitalism may change its "look" with technological and sectoral shifts, its "core features of capitalism are still very much visible." The fundamental tenets of profit-seeking private production and wage labour re...

This episode provides an overview of the short essay written by S.A. Hamed Hosseini for Global Dialogue, published by the International Sociological Association. The essay argues that  radical transformations  are essential to prevent civilizational collapse, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the unsustainability of the "old normal." The author attributes t...

This episode introduces S. A. Hamed Hosseini's paper, "The Well-Living Paradigm."

This episode introduces S. A. Hamed Hosseini's paper, "The Well-Living Paradigm."

Developed by S. A. Hamed Hosseini and presented by Ms. Nicole Cooney for his course SOCA3780 at the University of Newcastle (UON), this episode utilizes a simple meditation exercise to teach and maintain mindfulness of the four Aristotelian causes of true value. It helps us understand how a natural commons functions. Enjoy!

This episode presents a longer overview of Chapter 6 of the Book Capital Redefined. Drawing upon the provided excerpts from Chapter 6 of "Capital Redefined" by Hosseini and Gills, this overview aims to provide a deep and thorough account of the arguments presented regarding the Marxian Labor Theory of Value (LTV) in the context of smart machines, affect, and climate change, remaining loy...