From asymmetries to harmony

a demanding but urgent journey

Paul Dembinski

pp. 131-146

in: Mauro Magatti (ed), The crisis conundrum, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Abstract

The progress of individualisation during the "Three Decades of Financial Euphoria" (mid 1970s–2007) were to a large extent achieved through a less visible process of demutualisation of more traditional forms of social coexistence based on joint production and sharing of resources, risks and rewards in communities such as families, villages neighbourhoods and other social groups. After discussing briefly the main asymmetries that progressively built up during the "Euphoric Years' in the light of finance-led growth, it is shown how some of the asymmetries could be tackled by a broader mutualisation and solidarity without destroying the fundamental logic of a market economy. Finally, a more ambitious programme for systemic recasting is revealed, based on replacement of the presently working 'structures of asymmetry" with 'structures of harmony".