Social reproduction and the global political economy of work: feminist perspectives and methodological reflections

• Department of Political and Social Sciences

This event, organised by the Gender Working Group, hosts a talk with Alessandra Mezzadri (SOAS University of London).

This talk explores the intersections of social reproduction and the global political economy of work through a feminist lens. Drawing on insights from three key publications, the speaker will examine how labour exploitation, circular migration, and reproductive struggles are embedded within broader processes of dispossession and value creation in global capitalism. Special attention will be given to methodological approaches in researching social reproduction and labour, highlighting the challenges and contributions of feminist political economy.

By engaging with theorisations of value, urban–rural dynamics, and the lived experiences of workers across borders, the lecture aims to deepen our understanding of how reproductive and productive labour are interconnected, contested, and reconfigured in transnational contexts. This event offers a critical space for reflecting on the role of feminist scholarship in rethinking the structures and assumptions of contemporary political economy.