Principles of Economic Sociology - Softcover

Swedberg, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0691130590 ISBN 13: 9780691130590

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2007

Synopsis

The last fifteen years have witnessed an explosion in the popularity, creativity, and productiveness of economic sociology, an approach that traces its roots back to Max Weber. This important new text offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of economic sociology. It also advances the field theoretically by highlighting, in one analysis, the crucial economic roles of both interests and social relations.

Richard Swedberg describes the field's critical insights into economic life, giving particular attention to the effects of culture on economic phenomena and the ways that economic actions are embedded in social structures. He examines the full range of economic institutions and explicates the relationship of the economy to politics, law, culture, and gender. Swedberg notes that sociologists too often fail to properly emphasize the role that self-interested behavior plays in economic decisions, while economists frequently underestimate the importance of social relations. Thus, he argues that the next major task for economic sociology is to develop a theoretical and empirical understanding of how interests and social relations work in combination to affect economic action. Written by an author whose name is synonymous with economic sociology, this text constitutes a sorely needed advanced synthesis--and a blueprint for the future of this burgeoning field.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Ambitious, erudite, and compelling, this is the first book to encompass systematically the fundamentals of economic sociology. It offers a uniquely readable and learned overview, while also setting an agenda for the field."--Bruce Carruthers, Northwestern University

"Swedberg is a veritable encyclopedia in the fields of economics and economic sociology, and he brings his wide knowledge of both fields to bear in this book. The result is a comprehensive textbook that is a 'must-read' for scholars, and is still accessible and lively enough to be the perfect introduction for juniors, seniors, and graduate students."--Frank Dobbin, Princeton University

About the Author:

Richard Swedberg is Professor of Sociology at Cornell University, where he co-directs its Center for the Study of Economy and Society. He is the author of Max Weber and the Idea of Economic Sociology (Princeton) as well as co-editor of The Handbook of Economic Sociology (both Princeton).

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0691130590
• ISBN 13: 9780691130590
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384