Debating the public sphere and the future of the commons: Property relations in the context of welfare state transformation

Outline

The project investigates how austerity and its (primarily local) counter movements bring about a structural change of property that is mediated by the welfare state. In concrete terms, it explores two urban contexts in Spain and the United Kingdom, respectively.

The researchers focus on three issues: firstly, how the dynamics involved restructure the interplay between public, private and common property, secondly, the role of social rights and non-ownership-based sharing arrangements as potential equivalents to ownership, and thirdly, how the basic institution of the welfare state may undergo a transformation of its own in this process.

Project activities

Publications

Scientific publications

van Dyk, Silke; Kip, Markus (2024): “Double Democratization and the Politics of Property in Municipalist Barcelona”, In: Journal of Political Sociology 2(1), 48-79. DOI: 10.54195/jps.17837
van Dyk, Silke (2024): “Privateigentum als Privileg”, In: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, 74 (21), 28-33.
van Dyk, Silke; Kip, Markus (2023a): “Die Zukunft sozialer Rechte. Sozialeigentum als Vergesellschaftung von Sozialpolitik”, In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 52(4), 361-378. DOI: 10.1515/zfsoz-2023-2025.
van Dyk, Silke; Kip, Markus (2023b): “Rethinking Social Rights as Social Property: Alternatives to Private Property, and the Democratisation of Public Politics”, In: Critical Sociology, OnlineFirst 2023. DOI: 10.1177/08969205231195378.
van Dyk, Silke (2022): “(Ent-)Privatisierung und Kollektiveigentum. Von der Engführung der Verteilungsfrage zu einer neuen Politik des Öffentlichen”, In: Kurswechsel, Heft 3/2022, 9-21.

Media and podcasts

"Solidarwirtschaft mit Hindernissen. Eine Bilanz des neuen Munizipalismus in Barcelona", Article by Silke van Dyk, Markus Kip and Luzie Gerstenhöfer in Zeitschrift Luxemburg (May 2024)
"Tag für Tag enteignet“, Guest article by Silke van Dyk in Frankfurter Rundschau (17.04.2023).
“The Future of Social Rights – Social Rights as Property? Thinking with and beyond Robert Castel”, Silke van Dyk and Markus Kip in the SFB Podcast. (14.07.2022)
“Multiple Krisen, das Primat des Eigentums und die Frage der Transformation”, Silke van Dyk has written a literature essay on "Owning the Future. Power and Property in an Age of Crisis" by Buller and Lawrence for Soziopolis. (04.10.2022)
“Synapsen. Eigentum verpflichtet“, Silke van Dyk as a guest on the NDR Science Podcast. (11.07.2022)
“Meins oder Deins: Bröckelt das Privateigentum?“, Silke van Dyk as a guest on the MDR podcast “Das große Ganze” (10.02.2022)
“Die untere Hälfte besitzt nichts“, Silke van Dyk in an interview with the taz about social inequality. (26.08.2021)
“Der Kampf um die Sandförmchen - Form, Bedeutung, Verteilung und Verpflichtung von Eigentum.“, Silke van Dyk in an interview with Radio F.R.E.I.. (06.07.2021)
Inquired at the Collaborative Research Centre "Structural Change of Property". Silke van Dyk together with Hartmut Rosa in conversation with Soziopolis. (30.06.2021)

Lectures

“What diverse options are there for resourcing the expansion of public-commons partnerships?“, Input by Luzie Gerstenhöfer on the occasion of the International Conference on Plural Economy, BLOC4, Barcelona, 24.10.2024.
“Social Economy with Obstacles. The New Municipalism in Barcelona Revisited“, Brownbag Lecture by Silke van Dyk and Markus Kip, ECOS-Grup Cooperatiu, Barcelona, 23.10.2024.
“Double Democratization and the Amputation Dilemma: Assessing New Municipalist Strategies of Governing Barcelona as a Commons“, Lecture by Markus Kip occasion of the international workshop “Bridging Schools of Though. New Frontiers in the Research on Commons and Commoning“, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 22.10.2024.
“De-Privatizing the City: Contesting Public Services and the Social Economy in Liverpool and Barcelona“, Lecture by Silke van Dyk, Markus Kip and Luzie Gerstenhöfer on the occasion of the colloquium “Think and Drink“, Georg-Simmel-Zentrum Berlin (10.06.2024)
"Das Kollektive im Privaten. Eigentumskonflikte und die Neuverhandlung des Öffentlichen“, Lecture by Silke van Dyk on the occasion of the lecture series "Im Widerstreit. Konfliktzonen der Gegenwart“, (18.04.2024), Universität Hamburg.
"Community Kapitalismus. Von der Ausbeutung der Gemeinschaft zur Vergesellschaftung“, Lecture by Silke van Dyk on the occasion of the event series "Ambulante Gesundheitsversorgung vergesellschaften“, (17.04.2024), Poliklinik Veddel, Hamburg.
“Nach dem Privateigentum? Güter und Infrastrukturen im Kapitalismus des 21. Jahrhunderts”, Lecture by Silke van Dyk [with Tilman Reitz] on the occasion of the research colloquium at the Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin. (29.01.2024)
“Die Grenzen der Solidarität durchbrechen: Universelle, öffentliche und kollektive Infrastrukturen”, lecture by Silke van Dyk on the occasion of the workshop “Vergesellschaftung des Gesellschaftlichen”, Centre for Social Critique, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Auditorium im Grimm Zentrum (8./9.12.2023).
“Lokale Alternativökonomien. Sozial- und Solidarwirtschaft im Spannungsfeld von Krisenmanagement und Eigentumstransformation”, ecture by Silke van Dyk on the occasion of the Sociological Institute Colloquium “Genos-senschaften”, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (6.12.2023).
“Doppelte Demokratisierung und Commons”, lecture by Markus Kip at the Community Wealth Building Symposium, Kiel University (17.11.2023).
“Wem gehört.....? Zur politischen Ökonomie des Eigentums”, Silke van Dyk with a lecture at the public lecture series “Wem gehört....? Die Rückkehr der Eigentumsfrage aus globaler Perspektive” at Universität Wien (11.10.2023).
“Challenging private property: Lessons from the failed municipalisation of water infrastructure in Barcelona”, Lecture by Luzie Gerstenhöfer on the occasion of the Urban Studies Seminar and Transnational Institute Workshop “New municipalism, democratic public ownership, and the politics of the common”, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (18.-22.09.2023).
“Neuer Munizipalismus als doppelte Demokratisierung? ,Commonification’ des Öffentlichen und öffentliche Regulierung der Commons in Barcelona, Lecture by Silke van Dyk, Luzie Gerstehöfer and Markus Kip on the occasion of the conference “Lokale Ökonomie & Commons”, 3 July 2023, Schader Forum in Darmstadt.
“Enteignung, Vergesellschaftung und die Demokratisierung von Wirtschaft - Theoretische Aspekte und politische Potenziale”, Silke van Dyk with a lecture at the conference “Vergesellschaftung: Strategien für eine demokratische Wirtschaft”. (07.10.2022).
“Public-Commons-Partnerships in Barcelona: Aspirations, Strategies and Limits in Public Policy-Making since 2015”, lecture by Silke van Dyk and Markus Kip on the occasion of the RN37 V MIDTERM CONFERENCE “Seeing Like a City / Seeing the City Through”at the Georg Simmel Centre for Metropolitan Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. (07.10.2022).
“Wem gehört das Öffentliche? Eigentum, Daseinsvorsorge und die Vergesellschaftung der Sozialpolitik”, Silke van Dyk with a lecture at the conference “Privateigentum auf dem Prüfstand”. (17.09.2022).
“Claiming Ownership. Die Entprivatisierung des Eigentums und die Neuverhandlung des Öffentlichen”, lecture by Silke van Dyk on the occasion of the symposium “Eigentum zwischen ‚absolutem dominium‘ und institutionellem Regime – welche Eigentumstheorie brauchen wir?” at the Institute for Philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen. (30.06. to 01.07.2022).

Events

Organisation of three panels on the topic "De-Privatizing Municipal Services and Public Infrastructures: Instituting the Urban Commonfare?" on the occasion of the conference "Ordinary Cities in Exceptional Times", of the International Sociological Association (ISA) in Athens. (24 .-26.08.2022)
International Workshop “Local Self-Governance and Urban Property Relations. Historical and Present Perspectives”, at the University of Jena (26.-27.10.2023).
International Workshop (together with TP B05) “The Future of Social Rights: Social Property, Commons and the Foundational Economy”, with Keynotes from Julie Froud and Massimo de Angelis, at the University of Jena (03.03.2022).