PROKLA - Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft
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The factory of renting: Financialization and industrialization of the corporate housing business.
No full textThe article describes the development of large listed landlords in Germany (like Vonovia SE) as a specific form of the financialization of housing. Since the end of the 1990s, large stocks of the fordistic and state-socialist housing infrastructures in Germany were sold to Private Equity Funds. After the German recovery from the global financial crisis the fund managers organized the exists through public offerings. Since then a heavy concentration process has taken place that reaches transnational dimensions. The author proposes to call this process “financialized industrialization of corporate housing business”. Integrated into global financial markets and using IT, the public listed real estate companies subjugate trade, facilitation, management, renting and production of housing to standardized financial calculations and automated processes. However, the “real subsumption” of tenants to real estate capital also gives rise to social protests and reclaims.The article describes the development of large listed landlords in Germany (like Vonovia SE) as a specific form of the financialization of housing. Since the end of the 1990s, large stocks of the fordistic and state-socialist housing infrastructures in Germany were sold to Private Equity Funds. After the German recovery from the global financial crisis the fund managers organized the exists through public offerings. Since then a heavy concentration process has taken place that reaches transnational dimensions. The author proposes to call this process “financialized industrialization of corporate housing business”. Integrated into global financial markets and using IT, the public listed real estate companies subjugate trade, facilitation, management, renting and production of housing to standardized financial calculations and automated processes. However, the “real subsumption” of tenants to real estate capital also gives rise to social protests and reclaims
"Externalisation 4.0? About a powerful narration and its shadows.
No full textThe article deals with processes of internalisation and externalisation within the concept of „Industry 4.0“. We first present our approach to externalisation and subsequently analyse the concept with a view to patterns of externalisation relating to nature, work and gender. "Externalisation 4.0? About a powerful narration and its shadows. The article deals with processes of internalisation and externalisation within the concept of „Industry 4.0“. We first present our approach to externalisation and subsequently analyse the concept with a view to patterns of externalisation relating to nature, work and gender.
 
On Elmar Altvater\u27s Critique of Austerity
No full textAm 1. Mai 2018 verstarb Elmar Altvater (siehe PROKLA 191). Unter www. altvater.prokla.de haben wir alle Beiträge von ihm, die er (zum Teil mit anderen zusammen) in der PROKLA veröffentlichte, frei zugänglich gemacht. Wie relevant, aktuell und weitsichtig seine wissenschaftliche Arbeit war und wie aktuell sie noch heute sind, wollen wir in den kommenden zwei Ausgaben zeigen. Anhand jeweils eines PROKLA-Artikels werden wir auf insgesamt vier thematische Schwerpunkte seiner Arbeit eingehen. Ingo Stützle stellt einen Beitrag aus der PROKLA 32 von 1978 vor, der sich liest wie ein aktueller kritischer Kommentar zur sogenannten Eurokrise – und das, obwohl der Text 40 Jahre alt ist.Elmar Altvater died on 1 May 2018 (see PROKLA 191). At www. altvater.prokla.de we have made all his contributions, which he (partly together with others) published in the PROKLA, freely accessible. How relevant, up-to-date and far-sighted his scientific work was and how up-to-date it still is today, we want to show in the next two issues. On the basis of one PROKLA article each, we will deal with a total of four thematic focal points of his work. Ingo Stützle presents an article from PROKLA 32 from 1978 which reads like a current critical commentary on the so-called Euro crisis - even though the text is 40 years old
Money capital in search of a safe haven: Theory and politico-economic base of the current housing crisis in Germany.
No full textThe housing question is back on the agenda in Germany. House rents in urban areas in particular, where the vast majority of habitants are renters, are on the rise since the outbreak of the global financial and economic crisis in 2007/08. The first part of the article articles discusses David Harvey’s notion of the secondary circuit of capital in order to provide a politico-economic theory for a better understanding of the economic base of these processes. Harvey’s central argument is that the flow of money capital in search of investment opportunities is “switched” into the sphere of real estate in times of overaccumulation. The second part of the article provides empirical data on construction activities, buying and selling of built environment and the development of land prices, including speculation, in Germany that all point in the same direction: the secondary circuit is gaining in importance in the past ten years. Further, the data shows the geographical unevenness of these processes, as most activities are located in major cities.The housing question is back on the agenda in Germany. House rents in urban areas in particular, where the vast majority of habitants are renters, are on the rise since the outbreak of the global financial and economic crisis in 2007/08. The first part of the article articles discusses David Harvey’s notion of the secondary circuit of capital in order to provide a politico-economic theory for a better understanding of the economic base of these processes. Harvey’s central argument is that the flow of money capital in search of investment opportunities is “switched” into the sphere of real estate in times of overaccumulation. The second part of the article provides empirical data on construction activities, buying and selling of built environment and the development of land prices, including speculation, in Germany that all point in the same direction: the secondary circuit is gaining in importance in the past ten years. Further, the data shows the geographical unevenness of these processes, as most activities are located in major cities
Exceptional segment: Form and function of social housing after welfare state transformation
No full textGoing along with the end of the “golden age” of the welfare state, the fordist paradigm of social housing has been considerably transformed. From the 1980s onwards, a new paradigm of social housing has been shaped in Germany in terms of provision, institutional organization and design. This transformation can be interpreted as a result of the interplay between the transformation of national welfare state and housing policies, the implementation of entrepreneurial urban policies and a shift in architectural and urban development models. Using an integrated approach to understand form and function of social housing, the paper characterizes the new paradigm established and nevertheless interprets it within the continuity of the specific German welfare resp. housing regime, the “German social housing market economy”.Going along with the end of the “golden age” of the welfare state, the fordist paradigm of social housing has been considerably transformed. From the 1980s onwards, a new paradigm of social housing has been shaped in Germany in terms of provision, institutional organization and design. This transformation can be interpreted as a result of the interplay between the transformation of national welfare state and housing policies, the implementation of entrepreneurial urban policies and a shift in architectural and urban development models. Using an integrated approach to understand form and function of social housing, the paper characterizes the new paradigm established and nevertheless interprets it within the continuity of the specific German welfare resp. housing regime, the “German social housing market economy”
The urban production of „poverty migration“: Social struggles for precarious housing in Frankfurt am Main
No full textIn 2013 the spectre of „benefit tourism” entered the German urban agenda as a “poverty migration” discourse. The paper shows how the local state itself creates the scandalized precarious living conditions of EU migrants. Drawing on an interview-based case study of the homelessness politics in Frankfurt am Main it points to a logic of reverse inter-urban competition that aims at deterring „costly“ subjects: By limiting migrants’ access to social benefits and infrastructures such as homeless shelters, cities try to present themselves as bad benefit tourism destinations. Social movements contest the exclusionary politics that produce homelessness and cramped housing. Yet, while successfully putting the topic on the agenda, in Frankfurt, the rights-based approach, demanding shelter for everybody, failed to challenge the city’s legal discourse dividing migrants into il /legal and benefit un /entitled subjects.In 2013 the spectre of „benefit tourism” entered the German urban agenda as a “poverty migration” discourse. The paper shows how the local state itself creates the scandalized precarious living conditions of EU migrants. Drawing on an interview-based case study of the homelessness politics in Frankfurt am Main it points to a logic of reverse inter-urban competition that aims at deterring „costly“ subjects: By limiting migrants’ access to social benefits and infrastructures such as homeless shelters, cities try to present themselves as bad benefit tourism destinations. Social movements contest the exclusionary politics that produce homelessness and cramped housing. Yet, while successfully putting the topic on the agenda, in Frankfurt, the rights-based approach, demanding shelter for everybody, failed to challenge the city’s legal discourse dividing migrants into il /legal and benefit un /entitled subjects
Farewell to Elmar Altvater, the passionate Marxist
No full textNachruf auf Elmar Altvater aus Il Manifest
Organization of precarious work at Austrian universities : The example of the IG LektorInnen und WissensarbeiterInnen (IG Lecturers and Knowledge Workers)
No full textDie 1996 in Österreich gegründete Interessengemeinschaft LektorInnen und WissensarbeiterInnen setzt sich gegen die zunehmende Prekarisierung der Lebens- und Arbeitverhältnisse der an den österreichischen Universitäten tätigen Lehrenden und Forschenden ein. Der Beitrag beschreibt deren Situation, setzt sich mit wissenschaftlichen Thematisierungen des Prekariats auseinander und nennt Herausforderungen, mit denen die Organisierung prekärer Arbeit konfrontiert ist.The interest group “Lecturers and Knowledge Workers” was founded in Vienna in 1996. It fights against the increasing precarization of teachers und researchers at Austrian universities. The article describes their situation, addresses the scientific notion of “precariat” and explores the challenges that confront organizing precarious labour
The AfD, the working class and the left - no problem?
No full textThe AfD, the working class and the left – no problem? The question of how to explain the success of the AfD in Germany and which counter-strategies are appropriate is controversially discussed within the social left. In Germany, two camps have emerged which seem to be irreconcilably opposed. Either the rise of the AfD is explained by the social left’s neglect of social issues and the working class, or it is understood as an expression of racism and prosperity chauvinism in the middle of society or in the entire population. Thomas Sablowski and Günter Thien criticize this viewpoint.The AfD, the working class and the left – no problem? The question of how to explain the success of the AfD in Germany and which counter-strategies are appropriate is controversially discussed within the social left. In Germany, two camps have emerged which seem to be irreconcilably opposed. Either the rise of the AfD is explained by the social left’s neglect of social issues and the working class, or it is understood as an expression of racism and prosperity chauvinism in the middle of society or in the entire population. Thomas Sablowski and Günter Thien criticize this viewpoint
One hat, too many heads: On the history and theory of populism
No full textIn recent times, populism not only is on everyone’s lips, but it has also been contested as scientific term. While some consider recent political developments as a repolitization and response to postdemocracy, others interpret populism as authoritarian and antipluralistic form of politics. However, a closer look reveals that the common term is very often rather obscuring. Scrutinizing the three mayor historic references of the debates on Populism – the Russian Narodniki, the US People´s Party, and the national-popular governments in the 1930-50s in Latin America –, the article reveals that quite contrasting movements have been labeled as populists. Furthermore, different theoretical strands, which described them as such discerned very different aspects as their populist core. After laying out these differences, the articles asks for the explanatory potential of these approaches and discusses the question if there is an intrinsic authoritarianism to populism.In recent times, populism not only is on everyone’s lips, but it has also been contested as scientific term. While some consider recent political developments as a repolitization and response to postdemocracy, others interpret populism as authoritarian and antipluralistic form of politics. However, a closer look reveals that the common term is very often rather obscuring. Scrutinizing the three mayor historic references of the debates on Populism – the Russian Narodniki, the US People´s Party, and the national-popular governments in the 1930-50s in Latin America –, the article reveals that quite contrasting movements have been labeled as populists. Furthermore, different theoretical strands, which described them as such discerned very different aspects as their populist core. After laying out these differences, the articles asks for the explanatory potential of these approaches and discusses the question if there is an intrinsic authoritarianism to populism