Ferreras I., Battilana J., Méda D.,
*Democratize Work. The Case for Reorganizing the Economy*,
May 2022, University of Chicago Press

This brilliant book makes the most compelling, comprehensive, and accessible case yet for democratizing work. It shows how we all have a stake in empowering workers at work–not only for the sake of workers, but for democracy at large, and a more sustainable planet.

Elizabeth Anderson. John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women’s & Gender Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

This book powerfully makes the case that democracy cannot be limited to political institutions but also belongs in the workplace. As technology and a global pandemic are radically remaking our relations at work, this book offers desperately needed guidance for achieving a more just and inclusive economic system. Imaginative, empirically informed, and motivated by a profound humanity, this is a normative social science at its best.

Debra Satz, Vernon R. & Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities & Sciences ; Marta Sutton Weeks Professor of Ethics in Society, Professor of Philosophy and, by courtesy, Political Science Stanford University

A must-read if you are looking for hope! This lively work, a book and manifesto in one, is a crucial contribution to rethinking our world and our economic system. Democratic, green, and feminist, it lays a cornerstone for building a fairer and more inclusive society. A must-read!

Thomas Piketty. Paris School of Economics, EHESS

For humanity to step back from the brink, changes in how we organize our economies and societies are urgent. This exciting yet viable manifesto provides the framework to mobilise for change: democratize, decommodify and decarbonise work. An essential handbook for everyone hoping for a better future.

Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.

« Democracy is in crisis everywhere. This accessible book argues that democratizing work can not only underpin a fairer economy, but also help democratic politics as well. Brimming with new ideas and perspectives, this book will challenge preconceptions and make you think.«

Daron Acemoglu (MIT Institute Professor, Department of Economics)

Have a look at this page to know more about events related to the release of “Democratize Work”.

In the meantime, watch below the Global Book Launch held on May 16, 2022:

“Democratize Work” now available at the University of Chicago Press

Isabelle Ferreras, Julie Battilana, and Dominique Méda

Translated by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

An urgent and deeply resonant case for the power of workplace democracy to restore balance between economy and society.

What happens to a society—and a planet—when capitalism outgrows democracy? The tensions between democracy and capitalism are longstanding, and they have been laid bare by the social effects of COVID-19. The narrative of “essential workers” has provided thin cover for the fact that society’s lowest paid and least empowered continue to work risky jobs that keep our capitalism humming. Democracy has been subjugated by the demands of capitalism. For many, work has become unfair.

In Democratize Work, essays from a dozen social scientists—all women—articulate the perils and frustrations of our collective moment, while also framing the current crisis as an opportunity for renewal and transformation. Amid mounting inequalities tied to race, gender, and class—and with huge implications for the ecological fate of the planet—the authors detail how adjustments in how we organize work can lead to sweeping reconciliation. By treating workers as citizens, treating work as something other than an asset, and treating the planet as something to be cared for, a better way is attainable. Building on cross-disciplinary research, Democratize Work is both a rallying cry and an architecture for a sustainable economy that fits the democratic project of our societies.

Contributors include Alyssa Battistoni (Barnard College of Columbia University), Adelle Blackett (McGill University), Julia Cagé (Sciences Po), Neera Chandhoke (University of Delhi), Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen), Imge Kaya Sabanci (IE Business School), Sara Lafuente (European Trade Union Institute), Hélène Landemore (Yale University), Flávia Máximo (Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil), and Pavlina R. Tcherneva (Levy Economics Institute of Bard College).

“Democratize Work”
Global Book Launch on May 16

Time: 11am-12.30pm NYC / 5-6.30pm Paris / 8.30-10pm Delhi

After introducing the book, we will hear from an outstanding panel, reflecting on the diversity of perspectives and actors engaged with #DemocratizingWork:

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and former President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Jayati Ghosh, Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, member ofUnited Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs, and former Chairperson of the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Nicolás Grau, Minister of Economy, Development and Reconstruction of Chile
Thomas Piketty, Professor of Economics at the Paris School of Economics-EHESS, France, and author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Moderator, Sharon Block, Professor of Practice and Executive Director of theLabor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School and former Acting Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for the Biden Administration.

The panel will be followed by a 30 minute-discussion between the audience and us, the 13 authors of the book. This discussion will be chaired by Adelle Blackett of McGill University. We hope to see you then!

Watch some highlights:

Watch the full recording:

“Democratize Work”
Colloquium in Oxford

Contributors include Alyssa Battistoni (Barnard College of Columbia University), Adelle Blackett (McGill University), Julia Cagé (Sciences Po), Neera Chandhoke (University of Delhi), Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen), Imge Kaya Sabanci (IE Business School), Sara Lafuente (European Trade Union Institute), Hélène Landemore (Yale University), Flávia Máximo (Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil), and Pavlina R. Tcherneva (Levy Economics Institute of Bard College).

The Institute for Ethics in AI will bring together world-leading philosophers and other experts in the humanities with the technical developers and users of AI in academia, business and government. The ethics and governance of AI is an exceptionally vibrant area of research at Oxford and the Institute is an opportunity to take a bold leap forward from this platform.

Every day brings more examples of the ethical challenges posed by AI; from face recognition to voter profiling, brain machine interfaces to weaponised drones, and the ongoing discourse about how AI will impact employment on a global scale. This is urgent and important work that we intend to promote internationally as well as embedding in our own research and teaching here at Oxford.

Watch the recording below: