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2017/2018  BA-BSOCO1027U  Introduction to Economic Sociology

English Title
Introduction to Economic Sociology

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Alfred Reckendrees - MPP
Main academic disciplines
  • Organization
  • Sociology
  • Economics
Last updated on 03-07-2017

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: On completion of the two courses Fundamentals of Social Theory and Introduction to Economic Sociology, the student should be able
  • to describe central problems and questions of classical social theory
  • to present key concepts of Economic Sociology and its approach to economic life
  • to identify similarities/differences of the theoretical accounts in terms of their theoretical presuppositions and assumptions about the social world
  • to situate the theories within the particular historical, political, economic and social contexts
  • to identify and discuss competing theoretical explanations
  • to use theories for an analysis of social, economic, and political problems
  • to reflect upon the relevance of these theoretical positions with regard to understanding the social world
  • to write an argumentative paper with a clear structure that meets academic writing standards
Course prerequisites
The courses Fundamentals of Social Theory and Introduction to Economic Sociology have one intergrated project exam. You can only participate in Introduction to Economic Sociology if you also register for the other courses just mentioned.
Examination
The course shares exams with
BA-BSOCO1025U
Course content and structure

The objective of this course is to introduce the students to key concepts of Economic Sociology. We will study what firms are doing and how markets work, and we want to understand why there are varieties of capitalism. Firms are shaping markets, and markets are constructed by firms and other actors like the state. These relationships are of interest to Economic Socialogy and are at the centre of the course.

Apart from this, the course also introduces to different types of academic texts and how to read them.

Bi-weekly brief assignments like quizzes, summarizing an article, exercises on searching and finding literature etc. These assignments aim at supporting the learning process and prepare for the final exam.

Two joined workshops of the course Introduction to Economic Sociology together with the course Fundamentals of Social Theory will prepare the students for the final exam.
Teaching methods
The course is based on a combination of lectures, student group work and open classroom discussion, brief assignments and perhaps presentations.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback will be given to the bi-weekly brief assignments; this will include peer-review from other students.
Feedback will also be given during workshops and students are encouraged to get in touch during office ours.
Student workload
preparing for classes 60 hours
lectures 24 hours
excercises 12 hours
writing the exam project 105 hours
diverse 4 hours
Further Information

The exam of the courses Fundamentals of Social Theory (FST) and Introduction to Economic Sociology (IES) takes the form of a discussion paper presenting and using concepts and theories from both courses. This paper shall meet academic writing standards, including a clear structure. The courses and two joint workshops of FST and IES will prepare for this task.
Expected literature

Books (select chapters)

Aspers, P., Markets (Cambridge, 2011).

Hass, J. K., Economic Sociology. An Introduction (London & New York, 2006).

 

Articles (Economic Sociology)

Block, F. 'Rethinking Capitalism', in N. Woolsey Biggert ed., Readings in Economic Sociology, (Oxford, 2002), pp. 219-230.

Campbell, J. L. and Pedersen, O. K. 'The Varieties of Capitalism and Hybrid Success: Denmark in the Global Economy', Comparative Political Studies 40, no. 307-332 (2007).

Fligstein, N. 'Markets as Politics: A Political-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions', in N. Woolsey Biggert ed., Readings in Economic Sociology, (Oxford, 2002), pp. 197-218.

Granovetter, M. 'Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness', in N. Woolsey Biggert ed., Readings in Economic Sociology, (Oxford, 2002), pp. 69-93.

Hall, P. and Soskice, D. 'An Introduction to Varieties of Capitalism', Varieties of Capitalism. The Institutional Foundations of Competitive Advantage, (Oxford, 2001), pp. 1-68.

Nee, V. 'The New Institutionalisms in Economics and Sociology', in N. Smelser and R. Swedberg eds., Handbook of Economic Sociology, (Princeton & Oxford, 2005), pp. 50-74.

Schumpeter, J. 'The Process of Creative Destruction', in, Capitalism, Socialism & Democracy. With a New Introduction by R. Swedberg, (London & New York, 1942/1994), pp. 81-86.

Schumpeter, J. 'Creative Response in Economic History', Journal of Economic History VII, no. 2 (1947), pp. 149-159.

Smelser, N. and Swedberg, R. 'Introducing Economic Sociology', in N. Smelser and R. Swedberg eds., Handbook of Economic Sociology, (Princeton & Oxford, 2005), pp. 3-25.

 

Articles (Empirical Material)

Fear, J. 'August Thyssen and German Steel', in T. K. McCraw ed., Creating Modern Capitalism, (Cambridge/Mass. & London, 1997), pp. 185-210.

Garcia-Parpet, M.-F. 'The Social Construction of a Perfect Market: The Strawberry Auction at Fontaines-En-Sologne', in D. MacKenzie, F. Muniesa and L. Siu eds., Do Economists Make Markets? On the Performativity of Economics, (Princeton & Oxford, 2007), pp. 20-53.

Koehn, N. F. 'Josiah Wedgwood and the First Industrial Revolution', in T. K. McCraw ed., Creating Modern Capitalism, (Cambridge/Mass. & London, 1997), pp. 17-48.
Last updated on 03-07-2017