Christoph Hermann

Against the Grain

Against Commodification

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Commodification is essential to capitalism: turning the necessities of life, including education, water, and healthcare, into products for sale. But even under capitalism there are periods when the drive to commodify is particularly intense and other periods when there is a push back against commodification. Political economist Christoph Hermann discusses the origins of the concept, … Continued

Against the Grain

Cutting the Workweek

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If you’re like most Americans, you probably feel overworked and underpaid. Americans, on average, labor 300 hours more per year than their counterparts in Northern Europe. And even workers in Europe, with some notable exceptions, have not seen substantial reductions in their hours for decades, despite increasing labor productivity. So what’s going on? Sociologist Christoph … Continued