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This podcast updates bi-weekly.

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This podcast is available on 7 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Challenging Economic Assumptions

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by Gerry McCartney and Carmel Williams

5.0(1 reviews)

10 episodes

Updated Bi-weekly

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Podcast Overview

Challenging Economic Assumptions podcast is kind of self-descriptive. It is about challenging our assumed ideas and beliefs of the economic system we live with, which determines so much of our lives, our values and understanding of the world. In this series we hope to unpack some of the not-so-often questioned economic thinking that has lead us here and where we can go next. We talk to various thinkers and activists on the underlying economic assumptions that permeate our society, attempting to uncover new ways forward.

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Publishing Since

7/9/2024

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Recent Episodes

July 24, 2026

Bridget Fowler | Sociological critiques of orthodox economics, social class, and inequality

In today’s episode Gerry is joined by Professor Bridget Fowler, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow. Professor Fowler is interested in social theory (with reference, particularly, to Marx, Bourdieu and social class) and the sociology of culture, including architecture and the obituary. At present she is finishing a book elaborating on this last article, entitled provisionally: Pierre Bourdieu: Reproduction and Social Transformation. In this episode, Bridget explores the hidden assumptions underpinning mainstream economics and challenges the idea of homo economicus, which is the rational, self-interested individual at the heart of neoclassical and neoliberal theory. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, Émile Durkheim, Thomas Piketty and Mariana Mazzucato, the conversation examines how social class, history, culture and power shape economic behaviour in ways conventional economic models often overlook.Together, Gerry and Bridget unpack the reasons behind persistent inequalities, why wealth has become increasingly concentrated since the 1970s, and how changes to taxation, labour protections and economic policy have transformed modern societies. They also explore whether alternative economic perspectives can reshape public policy and what role social movements might play in creating more equitable futures.Whether you’re interested in economics, sociology, public policy or social justice, this episode offers a thought-provoking perspective on the ideas that shape our economies and everyday lives. Interested in learning more?The ideas discussed in this episode draw on a rich body of work across sociology, economics and political economy. Here are some recommended starting points:Books<ul><li>Pierre Bourdieu – Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste</li><li>Pierre Bourdieu, 2000, Pascalian Meditations, Cambridge: Polity.</li><li>Pierre Bourdieu’s The State Nobility (Polity), chapter 2</li><li>Thomas Piketty – Capital in the Twenty-First Century</li><li>Thomas Piketty – Capital and Ideology</li><li>Mariana Mazzucato – The Value of Everything</li><li>Émile Durkheim – The Division of Labour in Society</li></ul> Research and organisations<ul><li>Sutton Trust reports on educational inequality and social mobility</li><li>World Inequality Database (WID)</li><li>OECD reports on inequality and social mobility</li></ul> This podcast is supported by <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gla.ac.uk%2Fschools%2Fsocialpolitical%2Fstaff%2Fgerardmccartney%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C46991428771b48f3321808de9d05eba7%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120845942956731%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gloZb2qF7UnhIkeQXwCKg1iZOxeNLYRuXELKp37Ap3k%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">University of Glasgow</a> and the <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchiaprt.org.au%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C46991428771b48f3321808de9d05eba7%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120845942975002%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=lVa5J2uyMpbPuriy6SkONjEEEwSmoDz53o1vAXtg7CM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation (CHiAPRT)</a>. Feel free to follow us and share our podcast online and with anyone you think will enjoy it!

April 20, 2026

Justin O'Connor | Reclaiming Culture as a Social Foundation

In today’s episode Gerry and Carmel are joined byProfessor Justin O’Connor from Adelaide University. A leading expert in cultural policy, Justin discusses the evolution of culture’s role in society, its commodification, and the importance of re-establishing culture as a foundational social good, crucial to democratic participation and to counteract rising far-right ideologies and societal polarisation. While culture is often broadly defined as the sum of our shared meanings and interactions - echoing anthropologist Edward Tylor’s notion that “culture is everything that is not nature” - Justin O’Connor focuses on a more specific understanding of “art and culture”. Through images and sounds, movements and rhythms, and poetic language, culture speaks to our place in the world. It enables collective meaning-making and communication through distinctive forms of symbolic knowledge that lie beyond purely rational discourse, offering an indispensable, if sometimes opaque, contribution to our shared social life. Justin calls for a radical repositioning of culture as a foundational element of society and a core domain of public policy, alongside health, education, social services, and basic infrastructure. Challenging reductionist views that frame culture as merely a market-driven consumer sector (the ‘cultural and creative industries industries’), a luxury, or a component of the ideological superstructure, he instead presents culture as essential to social reproduction, liveability, and citizenship. By prioritising community engagement and sustained advocacy for robust cultural policies, we can ensure that culture continues to thrive alongside economic development. Resources to explore <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustin-oconnor.com%2Fcurrent-publications%2Fculture-is-not-an-industry%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706304419%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2VaR5wujLHOSpTbeWxAlBDPr7hOyJMt91pqQ%2FEhBUI4%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Justin O'Connor's Book: Culture is Not an Industry</a>Open access papers by Justin and colleagues on Culture as Foundational <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffoundationaleconomy.com%2Fculture-as-foundational-paper-final%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706343199%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=P42TJt10gKFGCJwdRT78NaS73h1UhSLyVAqpkzKdw0E%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.sagepub.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1177%2F13675494261432911&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706368813%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AldCwxjxaixFoYepBmJTJWoTypOBxvjZYyVKIlwu%2BxY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here.</a> Open Access paper on <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F09548963.2026.2655376%23d1e634&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706823285%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BWKF9Sh7p6mR3WqSA04uEG%2BNKJHYE5Ow76pziSICs4M%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Basic </a><a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F09548963.2026.2655376%23d1e634&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706854068%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Xcuoa6%2FsDBsEnCNlPBhbQyQE3FwLQJ08ERXx63U%2FYVY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Income for Artists</a><a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oecd.org%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fproviding-local-actors-with-case-studies-evidence-and-solutions-places_eb108047-en%2Fcommunity-wealth-building-for-a-well-being-economy_afdeefcd-en.html&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706875355%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6dX3dCUvybAgiRPARRGAiqWOQHgl5qNsECMDMHcMOnA%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Community Wealth Building Initiatives</a><a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unesco.org%2Fen%2Ftags%2Fcultural-policy&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706896327%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JA31qSwodY0jz4iKgLHl2BmCrqRjQ9N3m9Ld19OgSrE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">UNESCO Cultural Policy Resources</a><a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arts.gov.au%2Fpublications%2Fcreative-australia-national-cultural-policy-2013&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099706916544%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=XZS4EqzOwfUXrki8LY9N12%2FlcOWgeJHCY72THaaOwZM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Creative Nation (Australia) Policy</a>This podcast is supported by <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gla.ac.uk%2Fschools%2Fsocialpolitical%2Fstaff%2Fgerardmccartney%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099707095755%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rDhTNFSPh4jCe8a2LdplKib1CDTTwLKZXhIHaPbJkrg%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">University of Glasgow</a> the<a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchiaprt.org.au%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cn.lalchandani%40deakin.edu.au%7C490b483cba77449bbe8108de9c582c9c%7Cd02378ec168846d585401c28b5f470f6%7C0%7C0%7C639120099707120490%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=DvcoQ%2Fhzal29rdYbcnrcBxUpvcKeiWuove0EOJXLomo%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation (CHiAPRT)</a>, and <a href="https://adelaide.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Adelaide University</a>.Feel free to follow us and share our podcast online and withanyone you think will enjoy it. Thank you for tuning in!

August 22, 2025

Martin Hensher | Thru the eyes of a Health Economist

In todays episode Gerry and Carmel are joined by Martin Hensher from the Menzies Institute. Martin delves into his long career working in health, his transition to health economics and the experience he has had working in both private and public organisations. He touches on some really major economic ideas and helps us unpack what they might contain. Martin Hensher is a Henry Baldwin Professorial Research Fellow in Health Systems Sustainability at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. His work focuses on how healthcare systems can respond to the environmental, economic, and social challenges of the future. With over 30 years of experience in health economics, planning, and financing, he has held senior roles in the UK, Australia, Africa, and Europe. If you are interested in these topics and wish to learn more please check out this <a href="https://www.torrens.edu.au/courses/business/master-of-economics-of-sustainability" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Master of Economics of Sustainability </a>course, which Martin Hensher teaches in. Delivered by Torrens University Australia, the course will further your understanding of the economics of sustainability and knowledge surrounding many alternative economics approaches. This podcast is supported by <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/staff/gerardmccartney/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠The University of Glasgow ⁠⁠</a>and the <a href="https://healthtranslationsa.org.au/project/centre-for-health-in-all-policies-research-translation/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation. ⁠⁠</a>Feel free to follow us and share our podcast online and with anyone you think will enjoy it!

10 total episodes available

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What is Challenging Economic Assumptions?: Challenging Economic Assumptions podcast is kind of self-descriptive. It is about challenging our assumed ideas and beliefs of the economic system we live with, which determines so much of our lives, our values and understanding of the world.

In this series we hope to unpack some of the not-so-often questioned economic thinking that has lead us here and where we can go next. We talk to various thinkers and activists on the underlying economic assumptions that permeate our society, attempting to uncover new ways forward.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates bi-weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 7 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Information about guest appearances is not available.

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