Why does the spread of capitalism often seem 'natural' or inevitable? How do perpetrators of capitalist violence via primitive accumulation justify their disproportionate harm against particular groups and landscapes?

In this presentation and dialogue, we examine these questions through the relationship between primitive accumulation and temporality. Mr. Suell argues that primitive accumulation should be rethought not only as creating a capitalist material order but as reproducing ‘capitalist time.’ Illustrating this argument through conflicts over conservation lands in Kenya and Tanzania, he proposes a framework for primitive accumulation that describes how the material and symbolic dimensions of racial capitalism intertwine and that clarifies the role of temporality in domination and potential resistance. The paper presentation will be followed by comments from Dr. Simon Luo and audience discussion.

Mr. Suell is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Michigan. Dr. Luo is a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Civics Initiative.

Join via https://ntu-sg.zoom.us/j/2968371708 or use the Zoom Meeting ID 296 837 1708 with the passcode AGPT2022.