Research Topics

  1. Capitalism, financialisation and forms of political economy in the European periphery
    Based on the interdisciplinary nature of political economy, it is assumed that material life and governance are shaped by social, political, legal, cultural, technological and ecological factors. The institutional variety and dynamic nature of the economy are valued, the importance of production and provision systems is emphasized, seeking to understand the facts and processes which best characterize a peripheral European economy such as the Portuguese.
    Keywords: financialization, Europeanization, Portuguese economy, territory, metropolization, provision systems, housing
  1. Centre-periphery international dynamics
    Studies the international dynamics present in centre-periphery (or peripheralization) relations, inequalities and international hierarchies, and the role of international organisations, analysing crisis response instruments, such as national and international public policies in support of development and peace-building, as well as humanitarian action.
    Keywords: peripheralization, international hierarchies, international organizations
  1. Labour, employment and forms of production organisation
    Studies the complexity of work as a structuring dimension of contemporary life, focusing on the intersections it establishes, upstream and downstream, with the economic and financial context, with the role of the State and its institutions. The complexity of individual and collective dynamics and identities is assumed and attention is given to the implications of the intensification of new forms of labour organization (such as digitalization, teleworking or robotization).
    Keywords: trade unionism, labour relations, robotization, digital economy
  1. State and political democracy
    Analyses the structure and the roles that the State has assumed in the last decades, examining the duties it exercises, the evolution of the forms of power, the formulation of policies and the tensions that have been established between public space and private powers. Emphasis is given to public provision, regulatory capacity and the guarantee to what is essential, both materially and institutionally, for the creation of a democratic framework in which participation and collective action are valued.
    Keywords: governance, autonomy, collective decision-making processes
  1. Economic democracy and social reproduction
    Studies the institutional structures of the economy and its capacity to satisfy collective needs, overcome vulnerabilities and confront inequalities of gender, class, ethnicity or social inclusion, concurrently demonstrating the relevance of an ethics of care for a more robust organization of the economy and society, for social cohesion and for the valorisation of proximity relations based on the principles of community and diversity as opposed to those of individualism and indifference.
    Keywords: self-determination, solidarity, equity, social economy, feminist political economy, ethics of care