Showing papers in "Economic Sociology in 2002"

Forms of Capital

Abstract: The text is devoted to the cultural capital (and its three main states: incorporation, objectification, institutionalization) and social capital. The author analyzes the issues of transfer and reproduction of these types of capital and their connection with individual and group. At the end of the paper the author focuses on the conversion phenomenon when one type of the capital turns to another. The author claims that economic capital is the basis for all other types of capitals.

What is the Economic Action

Abstract: This is a methodological work. One of the main terms is thoroughly discussed here about which we do not think but have constant latent difficulties. The author gives the definition of economics, discloses the constitution elements of economic action, compares economically conditioned and economically oriented actions, and formulates the peculiarities of economic-sociological approach to this subject.

Term of Capital, Forms of Capitals and their Conversion

Abstract: The term of “capital” has been greatly used among economic sociologists recently. Many scientists speak about social capital, cultural capital, symbolic capital and other. At the same time the term of “capital” is considered to be self-evident and between forms of capital fairly good confusion exist. Finally in many cases we do not know how to operationalize different forms of capital. It would be a pity in case that these considerations about them do not go out of logic exercises. This paper gives a solution to this problem.

Economics as Institutionally Formed Process

Abstract: This is the first part of one of the main texts by Karl Polanyi about the two meanings of “economic”. No doubts, Polanyi is the classic and widely cited author in economic sociology. Now we can watch therenaissanceof his papers both in Europe and the USA. In 2001 a new edition of his book of “Great transformation” was published with the introduction by J.Stigliz and F.Block. In Russia Polanyi is not so popular, however two translations from his books were published (in THESIS and in the book by T. Shanin “Informal Economy”). The translation of the “Great Transformation” is not finished yet. The full version of this translation will be given in the reading book “Western Economic Sociology”.

Socio-economics: Further Steps

Abstract: In this fragment the author analyzes the current state and dynamics’ development of socio-economics in the context of its interaction and competitiveness with neoclassical theory. The explanation power of these two paradigms is compared. The questions of infrastructural development of socio-economics are under focus.

Ethnicity of the “Ethnical Economics” and Social Networks of Migrants

Abstract: The paper analyzes the existed concepts of ethnical economics on the basis of the study of the formation principles of social networks by economic migrants. The authors suggest their own ideas about the ethnicity. The object is the economic migrants from the Caucuses and Middle Asia, sailing on the markets in Saint-Petersburg.

The Influence of Population Income Mobility on Inequality Change

Abstract: The paper presents the results of the investigation of causality between income changes and inequality change in their distributions in Russia in 1990s. Income mobility is seen as a mechanism of the inequality transformation in the income distribution. The authors determine the characteristics of inequality transformation and the type of inequality dynamics in Russia in 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1996-1998.

Less is More? Economic Sociology in Spain

Abstract: The old-fashioned ‘defensive’ research policy that sought to limit the range of economic topics amenable to sociological research to strictly non-market phenomena, such as collective bargaining or welfare benefits, still prevails in the Spanish sociological academy. Economic sociology in Spain is indeed almost completely subsumed under other academic rubrics, mainly Industrial Relationships and the Sociology of Work on one end of the research spectre, and the New Political Economy on the other. One recent partial exception to this state of affairs is Fernandez-Anguita (1998) textbook revision of the New Economic Sociology English corpus published over the last twenty years. If, following the later corpus (or, say, the guidelines of the Economic Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association), were one to adopt a strict criteria for assessing the consistence of some research piece with the spirit of the New Economic Sociology, there would be very few works eligible. Well, that’s what I have done here. In order to provide a substantive report on the state of economic sociology in Spain I have chosen to deviate from the established format of a comprehensive review. Instead of speedily enumerate a (non-existing anyway) large research body of literature, I will give an slightly more informative account of a small, strategically selected sample of (what are for me) five exemplary economic sociology pieces. These have been selected by way of their combining both elaborate theoretical and empirical work on some key topic of the New Economic Sociology list, such as entrepreneurial culture, market networks or economic policy-making. To be sure I will also refer to other relevant works all along my presentation of the five pieces.

Making Multiple Money

Abstract: The author considers the fundamental transformations that took place in the process of marking money in the USA in the period from 1870 till 1930-s. Four types of social environment were chosen for the analysis and explanation of the variation models in the conditions and ways of demarcation of money: household, presents from relatives and friends, institutional money and moral money.

Russian Business: on the Way to Legalization?

Abstract: Rather big business representatives still use grey schemes for their operation but they are discussing seriously the necessity for the legalization. The costs of the legalization are too high; moreover there are other obstacles on the way to implement it. Is the legalization really possible? How should the relations between business and authorities be built? These are the questions of the study, conducted in 2001. The data base was constructed from the focused interviews with the heads of import companies of electrical and computer appliances, participating in the business association of RATEK. The main focus was the comparative evaluation of the costs of different schemes of operations with customs.