SOC 2190 - [Introduction to Economic Sociology]

(SBA-AS)

Fall. Next offered 2016-2017. 3 credits.

V. Nee.

What is the driving force behind economic growth? How do people find jobs? Does culture matter for economic action? What exactly is a market? Why is there a concentration of high-tech firms in Silicon Valley? Why has entrepreneurial capitalism emerged in China? These are some of the questions that this course will explore through the theoretical lens of economic sociology. Economic sociology has sought to understand the beliefs, norms, and institutions that shape and drive the global economy. It has sought to extend the sociological approach to the study of economic life by studying the interactions between social structure and economic action. The systematic application of sociological reasoning to explain economic action involves analysis of the ways in which social networks, norms, and institutions matter in economic transactions. The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to economic sociology as an approach and research program to understand and explain the relationship between economy and society in the modern era.