The Reproduction of Empire of Capital Through Incursions of Capitalist Processes Into Non-Capitalist Processes Since 1989 A
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THE REPRODUCTION OF EMPIRE OF CAPITAL THROUGH INCURSIONS OF CAPITALIST PROCESSES INTO NON-CAPITALIST PROCESSES SINCE 1989 A DISSERTATION IN Economics and Social Science Consortium Presented to the Faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by RUCHIRA SEN MA, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA MPhil, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India MA, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India BA (Hons) St. Stephen’s College, India Kansas City, Missouri 2018 THE REPRODUCTION OF EMPIRE OF CAPITAL THROUGH INCURSIONS OF CAPITALIST PROCESSES INTO NON-CAPITALIST PROCESSES SINCE 1989 Ruchira Sen, Candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2018 ABSTRACT This dissertation lays out a theoretical framework for a non-capitalocentric theory of the empire of capital since 1989. Following a complementary holistic approach, it sees the economy as reflecting the society that it is a part of. Thereby, certainly, the economy comprises the capitalist system but it also comprises kinship, community and state systems, necessary for the capitalist system to reproduce itself. The incursions of capitalist processes into the non-capitalist processes is an entry point into conceptualizing empire. This dissertation examines the incursions of capitalist processes into non-capitalist processes and their effect on the politics of identity and emancipation. Its contribution lies in its focus on reproduction and on the relationship between capitalism and systems on the ‘outside’ of its empire. iii APPROVAL PAGE The faculty listed below, appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, have examined a dissertation titled “The Reproduction of Empire of Capital through Incursions of Capitalist Processes into Non-capitalist Processes Since 1989,” presented by Ruchira Sen, candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, and certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance. Supervisory Committee Mathew Forstater, Ph.D. Committee Chair Department of Economics Norma E. Cantú, Ph.D. Social Science Consortium Linwood Tauheed, Ph.D. Department of Economics Peter Eaton, Ph.D. Department of Economics Viviana Grieco, Ph.D. Department of History iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................................vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .............................................................................................................. viii PREFACE.................................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1. EMPIRE: WHAT'S ON THE 'OUTSIDE'? .................................................................................. 1 Section I: Empire since 1989 – a contemporary empire of capital ....................................... 3 Section II: Why does the empire of capital require an ‘outside’? ....................................... 10 Section III: What does the ‘outside’ do? ................................................................................ 26 2. INCURSIONS OF CAPITALIST PROCESSES INTO NON-CAPITALIST PROCESSES ....................................................................................... 43 Section I: Historical ‘Primitive’ Accumulation and the Transition to Capitalism in England, Scotland and Continental Europe .................................................. 46 Section II: The So-Called ‘Primitive’ Accumulation as a Continuous Process ................ 56 Section III: ‘Primitive’ Accumulation and Continuous Conflict in Contemporary Context ............................................................................................................. 67 Section IV: Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 75 3. ‘HOUSEWIFIZATION’, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND DOUBLE-SHIFTS ..................................................................................... 78 Section I: Housewifization, the Emergence of the Surplus and Empires ......................... 81 Section II: Housewifization and the Empire of Capital since 1989 ................................... 98 Section III: Explorations in Time Use Data to Illustrate the Incursions of Capitalist Processes into the Kinship Economy ................................................................. 112 4. THE ROLE OF STATE AND IDENTITY............................................................................... 145 Section I- Fictitious Commodities and Disembedding ...................................................... 149 Section II: Defining State in Relation to Hegemonic, Capitalist and v Non-Hegemonic Processes .................................................................................................... 158 Section III: The State as a Site for the Triple Movement: Incursions of Capitalist Processes and the Resistance ........................................................................... 167 Section IV: Dominant and Contender States ...................................................................... 176 5. THE EMPIRE OF CAPITAL ....................................................................................................... 185 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 197 VITA ....................................................................................................................................................... 216 vi TABLES Table Page 3.1 Formulae for Estimates of value of money and 풎풆풍풕̂ ...................................................... 127 A.1 Expendability and Vanishing Women- Number of Women per 1000 Men and Number of Women per 1000 Men in India ........................................................ 184 A.2 Estimates of the Value of Money and 푚푒푙푡̂ , USA, 2003-2015 ........................................ 185 A.3 푬푶푵̂ = Wage Inflows (Monetary Earnings) in Labor Equivalent – Non-Wage Labor – Wage Labor – Care in the USA from ATUS data 2003-2015 ....... 187 A.4 Ratio of Wage Labor to Non-Wage Labor and Labor Hours Spent in Care, USA, 2003-2015 ........................................................................................................ 188 A.5 Average Wage and Non-Wage Labor, including Care (Hours ......................................... 189 A.6 Average over 퐸푂푁̂ Income-Groups .................................................................................... 190 A.7 Ratio of Wage to Non-Wage Labor for Men, USA, 2003-2015 ....................................... 191 A.8 Ratio of Wage to Non-Wage Labor for Women, USA 2003-2015 .................................. 192 A.9 Average Wage Labor of Men by Income Group, USA, 2003-2015 ................................ 193 A.10 Average Non-Wage Labor of Men by Income Group, USA, 2003-2015 ........................... 194 A.11 Average Wage Labor of Women by Income Group, USA, 2003-2015............................... 195 A.12 Average Non-Wage Labor of Women by Income Group, USA, 2003-2015 ..................... 196 vii ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1.1. System Dynamics of a One-Good Monetary, Production Capitalist System ......................... 14 1.2. GRAIN and MONEY in a one good model with capitalist consumption ............................. 18 1.3. UNEMPLOYED and LABOR in a one good model with capitalist consumption .............. 19 1.4. System Dynamics of a Two-Good Monetary, Production Capitalist System ......................... 22 1.5. PRODUCER GOODS and CONSUMER GOODS in a Two Good Model ...................... 24 1.6. Economy as a Network of Capitalist and Non-Capitalist Economic Systems ....................... 39 1.7. The System of Capitalist Processes ............................................................................................... 40 1.8. Systems of Non- Capitalist Processes ........................................................................................... 41 3.1. Number of Women per 1000 Men in India ................................................................................. 96 3.2. Number of women workers per 1000 men in India ................................................................... 96 3.3. Number of women workers and non-workers per 1000 men by industry classification, India ....................................................................................... 97 3.4. Number of women per 1000 men in household and non-household manufacturing activities in India................................................................................ 99 3.5. The Circular Flow of Reproduction (Economy as a Network of Capitalist and Non- Capitalist Economic Systems reproduced from Chapter 1) .......................... 116 3.6. Kinship and Capitalist Systems .................................................................................................... 120 3.7. Average EON̂ 2003-2015, USA .................................................................................................... 128 3.8. Ratio of Wage Labor to Non-Wage Labor for Men, USA, 2003-2015 ................................. 130 3.9. Ratio of Wage Labor to Non-Wage Labor for Women, USA, 2003-2015 ........................... 130