Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society Brown Bag Series
Getting Past Capitalism: History, Vision, Hope
with Cynthia Kaufman
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
12 noon – 1:30 pm 460 Stephens Hall, UC Berkeley
Cynthia Kaufman will share some of the central ideas in her book: Getting Past Capitalism: History, Vision, Hope. The book begins with a critique of the impacts of capitalism on human society and the environment. In the book, Kaufman conceptualizes capitalism as a set of practices constituted by several key forms of agency, and will show how that understanding can help us know which crucial forms of action to take to build just and sustainable economies. Kaufman offers an alternative perspective to what capitalism is and how it is reproduced, while opening the door to developing fresh ways to challenge the current capitalistic system. She asks some fundamental questions such as: how does capitalism come to look like a system that is unbeatable; and how are people manipulated to desire goods and services that work to reinforce capitalism. Presenting many alternatives to capitalism, she explores strategies for developing and strengthening those alternatives.
The Speaker
Professor Cynthia Kaufman is the director of the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement at De Anza College, and is the program coordinator for the Community Learning Partnership’s work at De Anza. She is the author of two books on social change: Getting Past Capitalism: History, Vision, Hope (Lexington Books, 2012) and Ideas for Action: Relevant Theory for Radical Change (South End Press, 2003). She is a lifelong social change activist, having worked on issues such as tenants’ rights, police abuse, union organizing, international politics, and most recently climate change. She received her PhD and M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her B.A. in Development Studies from University of California, Berkeley.
Please join us and feel free to bring in you lunch.
