About the Author: Jason Hickel - And AcademicJobs.com Podcast
This AcademicJobs.com podcast episode features Jason Hickel, a professor whose research focuses on political economy, inequality, and ecological economics. Hickel's work, including several books and articles in prominent publications, examines global inequality, degrowth, and post-capitalist transitions. His expertise is highlighted through his affiliations with various prestigious institutions and advisory boards. The podcast is sponsored by academicJobs.com and covers Hickel's prolific career and research contributions.
AcademicJobs Podcast Concept
- Title: ‘ABOUT the Author’
- Sponsor: AcademicJobs.com (Celebrating academic authors and their work)
- Episode Focus: Jason Hickel
Jason Hickel - Key Details
- Affiliations:Professor, Institute for Environmental Science & Technology (ICTA-UAB), Autonomous University of Barcelona.
- Visiting Professor, International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics.
- Fellow, Royal Society of Arts.
- Member of various influential boards and commissions (US National Academy of Sciences, Green New Deal for Europe, Rodney Commission on Reparations, Lancet Commission on Sustainable Health).
- Background: Originally from Eswatini, giving a unique international perspective.
Jason Hickel Research & Writing Focus: Three Core Areas
Jason Hickel’s work can be broadly categorized into three key, interrelated areas:
- Political Economy, Inequality and Ecological Economics:
This forms the core of his most recent and impactful work. “Jason's research focuses on political economy, inequality, and ecological economics, which are the subjects of his two most recent books."
- Global inequality, sustainable development, economic justice, ecological limits, post-capitalist transition.
- Colonialism and Anti-Colonial Struggles:** Hickel’s earlier work delves into the historical and social impacts of colonialism, specifically within a South African context, demonstrating his deep engagement with these topics. "Jason's ethnographic work focuses on colonialism, anti-colonial struggles and the labour movement in South Africa..."
- Anti-liberal politics, moral order, post-colonial identities, labor movements
- Radical Climate Mitigation and Economic Democracy:
Reflects his forward-thinking approach and engagement with current global challenges. "Jason presently holds an ERC Synergy grant for research exploring novel pathways for radical climate mitigation, economic democracy, and post-capitalist transition.”
5. Key Books (and Their Themes)
- Democracy as Death: The Moral Order of Anti-Liberal Politics in South Africa (2015): This book explores the intricacies of South African politics through an ethnographic lens focusing on anti-liberal movements, a foundation for his later examination of global inequalities.
- The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions (2017): Examines the causes and perpetuation of global inequalities, offering potential solutions. It clearly signals his shift towards a more global and macro perspective, and is a direct example of his "research focuses on political economy, inequality, and ecological economics."
- Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World (2020): Argues for a radical shift away from economic growth as a primary goal, advocating for degrowth as a solution to ecological crises and social inequality. A book which was "listed by the Financial Times and New Scientist as a book of the year," it is the book that has gained him significant traction and visibility, and should therefore be a key point of discussion on the podcast.
Broader Impact and Engagement
- Public Intellectual: A prolific writer and commentator with regular articles in The Guardian, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, New Internationalist, and Monthly Review.
- Media Presence: Frequently appears in major international media outlets (BBC, Sky News, NPR, etc.), and more than 20 podcasts, extending the reach of his work
