Jens Beckert, Milan Zafirovski (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology     London: Routledge, 2006 800 pages | ISBN 0415286735 | £145.00 | € 211,90

 

 

Abstract | Excerpt from the Introduction | Reviews | Editors

 

 

Abstract

 
The "International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology" is the first encyclopedia in the field, and a timely response to the surge of interest in economic sociology over the last 30 years. Economic Sociology deals with the mul­tiple and complex relations between economy and society. In particular, it focuses on the impact of social, political, and cultural factors on economic behaviour. The "Encyclopedia" gives comprehensive and accessible coverage of the wide range of areas and subjects covered by the field, including, amongst many others, such major topics as consumption, corruption, democracy and economy, ecology, embeddedness, gender and economy, globalization, industrial relations, law and economy, markets, organization theory, political economy, religion and economic life, social capital, the sociology of money, state and economy, trust, and work. "The International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology" is the much-needed major reference work on one of the richest areas of development in the social sciences in recent years. It is an extremely valuable new resource for students and researchers in sociology, economics, political science, and business, organization and management studies. The entries are cross-referenced and carry compact bibliographies. There is a full index.

 

 

Excerpt from the Introduction

 
The analysis of the economy has been a core concern of sociological scholarship ever since the institutionalization of sociology as an academic discipline. For "classical" sociologists like Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Georg Simmel, Vilfredo Pareto and others, the understanding of the economy, its social and political constitution, and its effects on society were main areas of their scholarship. Many of their writings stand close to the institutionalist traditions in economics. During the post World War II period the focus on the economy in sociological scholarship receded. Over the last twenty-five years, however, economic sociology has experienced a dramatic revival of interest. This shows in the many anthologies and journal articles that have been published on the subject, in newly founded journals and in a growing number of monographs in the field. Despite this great interest in scholarship in economic sociology, no publication has been available so far that gives a comprehensive overview of the core concepts, terms, substantial subfields and main contributors of economic sociology. It is this gap that the International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology attempts to close. The Encyclopedia assembles about 250 articles by more than 160 different authors who are well-known experts on their topics. The goal was to provide a comprehensive resource that gives an easily accessible overview over the expanding field of economic sociology. The encyclopedia aims at all scholars, students and members of the general public wishing to explore the sociological perspective on the economy. They can be sociologists, economists, political scientists, anthropologists or scholars from business studies and organization studies, as well as students and researchers from other disciplines. The book will give students and researchers a systematic up-to-date picture of the extent and range of work in economic sociology. In addition, the Encyclopedia is also of interest for research oriented policy and business consultants, economic institutions, foundations and the like.

 

 

Reviews

 
"This encyclopedia briefly outlines the scientific development that I have sketched here. It is divided into entries covering more than 250 topoi of the discipline, all of which conclude with relevant references, and spans almost 800 pages. Anyone interested in the social sciences will discover something of use in this book. This oeuvre will thus prove to be an extremely valuable reference work, capable of filling a substantial gap that has existed to date."
Reinhard Pirker, Institute for Institutional and Heterodox Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, review in: EAEPE Newsletter, Number 37/February 2007, 18–19. [PDF]
 
"[...] I have no reservation in suggesting that the International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology is the most important reference for the field for the years to come. I would urge anybody with even a slight interest in the field to consult this work."
Wilfred Dolfsma, Utrecht School of Economics & Maastricht University, review in: economic sociology_the european electronic newsletter 8.1, 2006. [PDF]
 

 

Editors

 
Prof. Dr. Jens Beckert is Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne. Dr. Milan Zafirovski is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Texas in Denton.