Samuel Sadian

Samuel Sadian ‘s work spans critical social theory, economic history, and political economy, with a particular focus on contemporary capitalism, neoliberalism, and crisis theory. It critically examines the intersections of economic and socio-political action, engaging with theories of capitalism, elite reproduction, and social inequality in both Southern Africa and global contexts. For his PhD in Sociology he researched consumer agency and social change in post-World War Two South Africa. His recent projects investigate neoliberal network formations, regional trade regulation, and cash grant policies in South Africa. Currently, Samuel is exploring the cultural mediation of crisis, conspiracy theories, and their role in shaping contemporary political and economic discourses.

Abstract

Gloomy Visions: Crisis, Conspiracy, and World-Making

This research examines the cultural mediation of crises and their impact on social and political change. It analyses three interconnected dimensions: Firstly, crisis narratives and economic order, as crises are not merely objective events but emerge through processes of interpretation. Neoliberalism, the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School, and contemporary critiques of capitalism often contribute to pessimistic worldviews and may limit political alternatives. Secondly, there are conspiracist countercultures, which have become a central medium for revanchist movements. In this research project, Sadian investigates the intersections between conspiratorial thinking, right-wing countercultures, and their appropriation of critical theory. The third dimension concerns technocratic governance and power. Technocratic elites often influence global politics without democratic accountability. Sadian analyses how neoliberal think tanks and political networks shape economic and political structures. By critically engaging with these three thematic areas, Sadian questions whether dominant crisis narratives open pathways to emancipation or reinforce cycles of disempowerment. Thus, the research project contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural construction of economic and political realities in the 21st century.

Education

2018 PhD Sociology, University of Barcelona, Spain
2009 MA Political and International Studies, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa 
2003 BA English & Political and International Studies, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa

Most Recent Academic Position

Postdoctoral fellow, Centre for Humanities Research (CHR), University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

Most Recent Publications

“Everyday Sociality, Political Protest and the Commodity Boundary in Southern Africa.” Social Dynamics 50, no. 2 (2024): 129–47.
“Wolfgang Streeck on the Origins of Capitalist Crisis.” Theoria 179, Vol. 71, no. 2 (2024): 1–27.
“Wolfgang Streeck on Consumption, Depoliticisation and Neoliberal Capitalism.” European Journal of Social Theory 25, no. 4 (2022): 596–613.

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