Future Histories International Rabea Berfelde on Socialisation
Rabea Berfelde discusses socialisation, its history and current socialisation movements.
Future Histories LIVE.
This episode is part of the ‘Future Histories LIVE’ format. For this, individual episodes are recoded live – that is, in front of an audience – at irregular intervals. This episode was recorded on August 6th, during the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland, titled “Economics as Resistance. Heterodox Strategies on Housing, Energy, and Agriculture against the New Right”.
Shownotes
Rabea at the Center for Social Critique of the Humboldt University Berlin:
https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/people/rabea-berfelde/
the Socialization in Theory and Practice research project:
https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/projects/socialization-in-theory-and-practice/
the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland:
Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2025). (Re)-Imagining Housing as an Infrastructure for Social Reproduction. In J. Groos & C. Sorg (Eds.), Creative Construction. Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press.
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction
Berfelde, R. et al. (2024). Für eine Linke mit Plan. Luxemburg. Gesellschaftsanalyse und Linke Praxis. 1/2024.
https://zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artikel/fuer-eine-linke-mit-plan/
Berfelde, R. & Heeg, S. (2024). Struggling with and through Knowledge Production: The Campaign ‘Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.’s’ Attempt at Housing Definancialisation in Berlin. Critical Housing Analysis 11 (1): 105-114.
https://www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/struggling-with-and-through-knowledge-productio
Berfelde, R., & Blumenfeld, J. (2024). Von der Vergesellschaftung zur Planung und wieder zurück: Über alte und neue Debatten um Wirtschaftsplanung und Vergesellschaftung. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 54 (215), 177–193.
https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2119
Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2023). Radikaldemokratische Planung der Wohnraumversorgung? Das Vergesellschaftungskonzept von »Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen«. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 53 (212), 561–577.
https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2049
on the Bavarian Soviet/Council Republic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavarian_Soviet_Republic
on the German revolution of 1918-19:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919
Backhaus, J., Chaloupek, G., & Frambach, H. A. (2019). The First Socialization Debate (1918) and Early Efforts Towards Socialization. Springer.
on Otto Neurath:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath
Chaloupek, G. (2007). Otto Neurath's Concepts of Socialization and Economic Calculation and his Socialist Critics. In: Nemeth, E., Schmitz, S.W., Uebel, T.E. (eds.) Otto Neurath's Economics in Context. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, vol 13. Springer.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6905-5_4
on Karl Korsch:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Korsch
on Otto Bauer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Bauer
Meyer, N. (2023). Otto Bauer on the Long Transition to Socialism. Left Notes.
https://www.left-notes.com/p/otto-bauer-long-transition-to-socialism
on Karl Kautsky:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kautsky
Vrousalis, N. (2018). Council Democracy and the Socialisation Dilemma. In: Muldoon, J. (ed.) Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge.
Blumenfeld, J. (2023). What was socialization? A look back.
https://sfb294-eigentum.de/en/blog/what-was-socialization-a-look-back/
Critical Theory Network et al. (2024). 11 Theses on Socialisation.
https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/interventions/11-theses-on-socialisation/
Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 1. New Left Review. 153 May-June 2025.
https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii153/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-1
Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 2. New Left Review. 154 July-August 2025.
https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii154/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-2
Muldoon, J. (ed.) (2018). Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781351205634/council-democracy-james-muldoon
on Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen (the Berlin Housing Campagin):
Hoffrogge, R. (2024). Commons and Constitution: historical and legal roots of the German socialization movement:
for projects on socialization in different sectors see also:
communia (2024). Socialising Energy. Lessons from radical housing campaigns in Germany. In: Buxton, N. (ed.) (2024). Energy, Power and Transition. Transnational Institute.
https://www.tni.org/files/2024-03/State%20of%20Power%202024-web.pdf
on the legal assessment of socialising the energy sector in Germany:
https://communia.de/energiekonzerne-enteignen-das-geht/
article 15 in the constitution of Germany:
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_15.html
for the draft of the socialisation law by the Berlin Housing Campaign see here:
https://dwenteignen.de/en/material
the Ackersyndikat:
RWE & Co Enteignen:
Hamburg Enteignet:
the socialist calculation debate:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_calculation_debate
the first socialisation conference 2022:
https://communia.de/en/project/socialization-conference-october-2022/
the second socialisation conference 2024:
https://communia.de/en/project/lets-socialize-socialization-for-climate-justice/
on anti-fascist economics:
https://www.exploring-economics.org/en/discover/anti-fascist-economics/
Future Histories Episodes on Related Topics
S03E29 | Nancy Fraser on Alternatives to Capitalism
https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e29-nancy-fraser-on-alternatives-to-capitalism/
S03E19 | Wendy Brown on Socialist Governmentality
https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e19-wendy-brown-on-socialist-governmentality/
S03E10 | Katharina Keil zu Vergesellschaftung und Transformation
S02E57 | Jenny Stupka zum Kampf um Vergesellschaftung
S02E57 | Jenny Stupka zum Kampf um Vergesellschaftung
S02E48 | Heide Lutosch, Christoph Sorg und Stefan Meretz zu Vergesellschaftung und demokratischer Planung
S02E29 | Max und Lemon von communia zu Vergesellschaftung und demokratischer Wirtschaft
S02E23 | Nina Scholz zu den wunden Punkten von Google, Amazon, Deutsche Wohnen & Co.
S03E32 | Jacob Blumenfeld on Climate Barbarism and Managing Decline
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If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help:
Democratic planning – an information website
https://www.democratic-planning.com/
Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1.
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1
Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk]
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction
International Network for Democratic Economic Planning
Democratic Planning Research Platform:
https://www.planningresearch.net/
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Episode Keywords
#RabeaBerfelde, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #futurehistoriesinternational, #FutureHistoriesLive #DemocraticPlanning, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Capitalism #BerlinHousingCampaign, #DWE, #Economics, #Socialism, #Socialisation, #OttoNeurath, #AaronBenanav, #Transition