Social inequality and social justice in the early modern world
ID
MSCA-2020-BLambert03
Supervisors
Project description
Wouter Ryckbosch' research is concerned with inequality in the early modern period (1500-1800), and focuses in particular on the interaction between economic, social and cultural dimensions of hierarchy and inequality. He has previously published on long-term trends of income and wealth inequality), and is currently working on a project that contrasts the literature on global consumer change in the early modern period, with the evidence of growing social polarisation. Other projects being developed are related to the study of popular ideas of social justice and social policy from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries across Europe. To this end he will study - among other things - new archival data on popular protests and revolts, and fiscal reform initiatives. The prime focus of his research has thus far been on the Low Countries, but opportunities for comparative study are very welcome (cf. Alfani & Ryckbosch 2016).
Researchers interested in an advanced project on inequality, social justice or social policy from the late medieval world until the nineteenth century are welcome to discuss ideas in the context of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship submission. Researchers interested in working on the global exchange of consumer goods and its impact on social relations are equally invited to get into contact.
About the research Group
Historical Research into Urban Transformation Processes (HOST)
Established in 2005, the HOST research group conducts innovative research in the field of urban history, contributing to insights into contemporary societal challenges. Essential to our research is the historical role of cities as catalysts for processes of economic innovation, social exclusion and integration, and political-institutional change. Particular interests include the history of social inequality, migration and economic and social relations, as well as the interactions between these phenomena.
Our work focuses predominantly on the cities of Brabant and Flanders, two core regions of the Southern Low Countries characterized by high levels of urbanization, commercialization and early industrialization, and by a marked variation in urban structures and profound upswings and downswings in economic development. We study these regions from an international, comparative perspective, which allows us to establish the generality and particularity of the urban developments we observe. Our research covers the period from the later Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. This long-term perspective makes it possible to distinguish between the impact of long-term structural transformations and shorter-term conjunctural effects.
HOST has over twenty-five permanent members, including professors, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students. Many of our staff are internationally acknowledged researchers with extensive publication records and involvements in both international and nationally-funded research projects. We welcome proposals for Marie Sklodowska Curie-Individual Fellowships from motivated candidates around the topics suggested on this page, but are also open to other ideas that fall within our areas of interest.
For more information, please visit https://host.research.vub.be/en