#7. Social Reproduction

25 March 2025

Sara Stevano, senior lecturer at SOAS Department of Economics, in conversation with Surbhi Kesar, explores the concept of social reproduction as a critical lens for understanding economic activities, particularly in the Global South.

Sara Stevano argues that social reproduction encompasses all work necessary to maintain life, including paid and unpaid labor, care work, and social rituals. Drawing on her research in Mozambique, she demonstrates how traditional economic analyses fail to capture the complex realities of work and survival in peripheral economies. The discussion highlights the importance of recognising social reproduction as a fundamental aspect of economic processes, not just a peripheral consideration. Ultimately, the episode calls for a feminist political economy approach that centers the everyday experiences of workers in understanding economic development.

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