Peter North

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Bio

"Peter North is Reader in Alternative Economies in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on alternative economic experiments and conceptions of the economy that will help to create convivial, prosperous egalitarian economies in the context of avoiding dangerous climate change. He is particularly interested in alternative currencies, transition towns and solidarity economies." (http://www.transform-network.net/uploads/tx_news/CVs__abstracts20140920.pdf)


Research interests

"What I would like to talk about is findings from a recent research project exploring the lineaments of the social and solidarity economies in the global north and south through two international seminars and a programme of visits to social and solidarity economy organisations in Liverpool, UK and Buenos Aires, Argentina. These include different articulations on the state from social and solidarity economy organisations, including debates about the extent that the sectors are antagonistic to or part of processes of neoliberalisation; the extent and depth of alternative economic practices developed, and the extent that they have supportive ecosystems around them. Differences include attitudes toward the state (supportive, antagonistic, stifling, catalysing); radically different conceptions of the good life, well-being and of work developed in the solidarity economy when opposed to the professionalism of northern social economy organisations; and different conceptions of the alterity of the sectors. I conclude by arguing that the development of a social and solidarity economy sector as part of a Polanyian counter power to neoliberalised capitalism in the global North and South could be a powerful manifestation of solidarity and learning." (http://www.transform-network.net/uploads/tx_news/CVs__abstracts20140920.pdf)