Commented University Calendar

Economic Sociology

Course Units (new window)

Instructor:

Michael Florian

Course Format:

2 hours Seminar

Period:

Winter Semester

Language:

German

Recommended Previous Knowledge:

None

Contents:

Economic sociology is defined as the application of sociological theories, methods, and perspectives to economic phenomena, i.e. to activities concerned with the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of scarce goods and services. In the 1980’s, particularly in the USA, the sociological study of economic structures and processes experienced a remarkable renewal. The seminar will examine the challenges of the "new" economic sociology using fundamental texts and selected empirical case studies as well as analysing strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical concepts.

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge: Insights into fundamental problems and new developments of economic sociology using selected theoretical concepts as well as empirical case studies

Competence of Methods: Application of different approaches of “new” economic sociology to specific economic problems as well as identification of strengths and weaknesses of sociological methods and concepts to explain economic phenomena

Competence of Systems: System oriented reasoning to analyze the complexity of economic systems and to consider economic, social, cultural, and political conditions and consequences of economic phenomena and decisions

Social Competence: Ability to form teams and to present and discuss relevant issues of economic sociology

Reading Resources:

  • Baecker, Dirk: Wirtschaftssoziologie. Transcript: Bielefeld, 2006.
  • Bourdieu, Pierre et al.: Der Einzige und sein Eigenheim. Erweiterte Neuausgabe. Hamburg: VSA, 2002.
  • Beckert, Jens: Was ist soziologisch an der Wirtschaftssoziologie? Ungewißheit und die Einbettung wirtschaftlichen Handelns. In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie 25, 1996, S. 125–146.
  • Beckert, Jens: Grenzen des Marktes. Die sozialen Grundlagen wirtschaftlicher Effizienz. Campus: Frankfurt/New York, 1997
  • Florian, Michael; Hillebrandt, Frank (Hg.): Pierre Bourdieu: Neue Perspektiven für die Soziologie der Wirtschaft. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften: Wiesbaden, 2006.
  • Granovetter, Mark: Ökonomisches Handeln und soziale Struktur.: Das Problem der Einbettung. In: Hans-Peter Müller und Steffen Sigmund (Hrsg.): Zeitgenössische amerikanische Soziologie. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2000, S. 175-207. [Engl. Original: Mark Granovetter: Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology 91, 1985: 481-510]
  • Heinemann, Klaus (Hg.): Soziologie wirtschaftlichen Handelns. Sonderheft 28 der Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1987
  • Hirsch-Kreinsen, Hartmut: Wirtschafts- und Industriesoziologie. Grundlagen, Fragestellungen, Themenbereiche. Juventa: Weinheim/München, 2005.
  • Smelser, Neil J.; Swedberg, Richard (eds.): The Handbook of Economic Sociology. 2nd edition. Princeton/Oxford: Princeton University Press and New York: Russell Sage Foundation: New York, 2005.

Performance Record:

Oral presentation and/or written research paper

Workload:

70 hours total

Further Information:

www.tu-harburg.de/tbg und neu unter http://www.imi.tu-harburg.de/de/team/michael-florian

Contact:

florian@tuhh.de

Credit points of this module can be found in the course plan for the corresponding course of study.

Back to overview