CfP: Network Q “Asian Capitalisms” – Clash of Capitalisms? The trajectories, encounters, contestations and connections of Globalizing Asian Capitalisms

SASE 2022 Annual Meeting, 9-11 July 2022, University of Amsterdam

The Call for Papers for Network Q “Asian Capitalisms”, included in the SASE 2022 Annual Meeting
to be held 9-11 July 2022, has opened.

SASE is an international, interdisciplinary organization with members in over 50 countries on five continents. The academic disciplines represented in SASE include economics, sociology, political science, organization studies, management, accounting, psychology, law, history, and philosophy (https://sase.org/).

Network Q promotes theory and research on the diversity of socio-economic systems and capitalist development in Asia as well as its global implications. We welcome a wide range of theoretical perspectives (e.g. comparative and international political economy, economic sociology, management studies, industrial sociology, innovation studies, comparative institutional analysis). New approaches to the study of Asian capitalism are needed to better understand how different systems and socio-economic processes regarding labor, capital or product markets and their outcomes (e.g. comparative advantages, innovation, cooperation, and specialization) are related – both internally and externally to (global) markets. The network promotes studies that examine these relationships as well as how institutional change and political dynamics affect them. The network contributes to an interdisciplinary perspective on trajectories of development within Asia and consequences for socio-economic development beyond Asia.

Network Q 2022 Theme

Clash of Capitalisms? The trajectories, encounters, contestations and
connections of Globalizing Asian Capitalism

The past decades have been marked by the emergence and globalization of Asian capitalism(s). The globalizing trajectories of Asian capitalisms – and the state and non-state actors and institutions that follow its wake – have raised a host of questions and a burgeoning literature on the differences and complementarities of the capitalist modes and modalities, as well as on the developmental models that have underpinned these processes. Similarly engaging has been the implications of globalizing Asian capitalism(s) for domestic institutions and political economies, as well as the outcomes of the encounters with host countries.

For a long time, the assumption of a gradual convergence of capitalisms seemed to have been dominant – be it along variegated trajectories and with remaining significant variations. Recently however, these globalizing dynamics are countered with geopolitical forces, rising economic nationalism and ‘systemic competition’. Voiced in particular by the United States – but increasingly also adopted by the EU – the world seems on its way to a new Cold War scenario with a resurgence of neo-mercantilist policies and rhetoric, industrial policies, trade and tariff-‘wars’, regionally competing alliances (such as BRI, B3W and the Global Gateway), and decoupling tendencies. These contestations are formulated in particular in relation to the emergence of a global China as a perceived contender of the Western liberal international order. The global pandemic arguably has only accelerated these trends. Increasingly these conflicts also focus on supply chain and innovation capacity, indicative of capitalism’s entry into its fourth revolution. Yet, these dynamics may reverberate very differently across (the rest of) Asia and other emerging regions like Africa and Latin America. At the same time, growing South-South collaboration is reconfiguring the rules of the game, as well as cooperation around global concerns such as climate change and sustainable development.
This turbulent state of affairs raises a whole set of questions on convergence and divergence of 21st century Asian varieties of capitalism, its global impact and encounters with the West.

We hence welcome papers and panels around the following themes:
• the globalization of Asian economies and Asian capitalism(s);
• varieties and modalities of capitalism in Asia;
• dynamics of Asian network and platform capitalism;
• technological upgrading and emerging sectors in Asia;
• state capitalism in Asia and its impact abroad;
• supply chain and industrial policies in the East and the West;
• innovation, finance, and entrepreneurship in Asian capitalism(s);
• labor, education, and social policy in Asian capitalism(s);
• socio-political changes in Asia and its impact abroad;
• South-South collaborations, contestation and development;
• North-South collaborations, contestation and development.

Topical issues related to globalizing Asian capitalism such as:
• public health,
• geopolitical rivalry,
• tech-competition,
• climate and sustainability,
• connectivity,
• rising economic nationalism,
are also welcomed.

Network Q 2022 Submission types

For the 2022 conference Network Q this year organizes two or more Thematic Panel/Paper sections, one Work in Progress section and one Early Career Scholar section. Moreover, we are happy to host Author-meets-Critics panels on recently published books.

Thematic Panel/Paper sessions can address any of the questions above and can be submitted either as panels or as stand-alone papers (which the organisers will organize into thematic panels) and need to be based on full paper drafts with a structured discussion including a discussant. The Work in Progress section contains work that is in an emerging state: research proposal ideas, initial findings, theoretical or conceptually innovative ideas, methodologically pioneering approaches, the form in which you want to present your work in this section is also free, the aim is to get optimal input on your developing work. The Early Career Scholar section is aimed at young scholars that are offered a safe space to present their work and get constructive input from more senior scholars (guaranteed by the organisers of Network Q and with selected contributions based on the expertise needed), the work can be in progress but full drafts are encouraged. Author-meets-Critics panels are composed of a minimum of three discussants with relevant expertise on a recently published book speaking to the Network Q remit and conference theme.

Our research network is looking for proposals for single paper submissions, for panels and/or network conferences (sequences of 2 or 3 panels). Please indicate clearly the kind of section you aim to contribute to (Thematic Panel/Paper section; Work in Progress section; Early Career Scholar section). Submissions should be done through the SASE website.

The deadline for submissions is 25 January 2021. Once logged into www.sase.org, simply click on the „Membership and Registration“ button to begin the submission process. Note that SASE seeks to promote gender equality. We thus strongly encourage you to take gender balance into account in panel proposals.

Please direct your submissions through SASE website and all communications and questions concerning this network to the following email address: n.a.de.graaff@vu.nl. If you wish to contact the network organizers individually, please write to Prof. Tobias ten Brink (t.tenbrink@jacobs-university.de), Prof. Boy Lüthje (luethje@ipp.org.cn), Prof. Zhao Wei (wei.zhao@essca.fr), and Prof. Nana de Graaff (n.a.de.graaff@vu.nl).