CfP: New Economic Sociology and Sociology: Where Do They Meet? Where Do They Diverge?

CfP: New Economic Sociology and Sociology: Where Do They Meet? Where Do They Diverge?

Workshops: Bringing The New Economic Sociology Back Into the Sociological Analysis

Warsaw, 22-23 May 2017

Submission of extended abstract: 10 December 2016.

Economic sociology got established as an approach to economic phenomena with the tools of sociology. This was relaunched in the 1980s in close association with the thesis of social embeddedness of economic action, and it continues to flourish and develop ever since. Hence, the embeddedness theoretical foundation was supplemented with other strong assumptions regarding power, institutions, social networks, as well as uncertainty, unintended consequences and fictional expectations. While, in addition to the US branch of new economic sociology, other related schools soon came along, such as the distinct European platforms.

The sociological dimension of new economic sociology notwithstanding, it is also observable, especially in the case of the generic European approach, that this is rather loosely coupled with sociology. New economic sociology makes use of sociological concepts and theories in addressing economic phenomena. But it directs this framing mainly towards economics, theory of organizations, new institutionalism and the study of social networks. This brings a sociological or sociologically informed perspective on economic phenomena to the attention of these disciplines. Yet it rarely uses insights gained by new economic sociology in order to build a bridge to, reinterpret or update the traditional or contemporary sociological framings. This state of affairs leads to the situation that even though new economic sociology builds on sociology, and it is presented as a sub-field of it, this also runs the risk of diverting from sociology, and of becoming a new sociology altogether.

In line with these observable trends, the Workshop aims to inquire whether this trend towards loose coupling, and even decoupling, is universal or rather particular to specific branches of new economic sociology? What elements determine whether new economic sociology and sociology appear as more or less coupled/decoupled? How is the tricky relation between new economic sociology and sociology probable to develop? What can sociology learn from new economic sociology? How to bring new economic sociology back into the sociological explanations?

The Workshop invites papers related to the following themes:

  • New economic sociology and sociology – the anatomy and prospects of a complex relation;
  • New economic sociology and other disciplines;
  • Various branches of new economic sociology and their level of institutionalization as sub-fields of sociology;
  • Theoretical foundations and new insights in new economic sociology ;
  • Strategic research sights in new economic sociology and the sociological underpinnings of these;
  • Sociological problems and their treatment in new economic sociology;
  • Cumulative knowledge of sociological approaches to economic phenomena in new economic sociology.

 
Guest-speakers

Patrik Aspers (Uppsala University – Department of Sociology)

Andrzej Rychard (Polish Academy of Sciences – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology)

 

Deadlines

Submission of extended abstract – 1,000 words (to Adriana Mica, a.mica@uw.edu.pl): 10 December 2016

Notification of acceptance: 10 January 2017

Submission of full papers: 2 May 2017.

 

Registration

Membership fee (Polish Sociological Association, in good standing): 110 Euro

Non-membership fee: 130 Euro

The conference fee covers lunch breaks, conference dinner in the evening of the first day of the conference.

 

Venue 

Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie [University of Warsaw Library], room 256 (Dobra 56/66, 00-312 Warsaw)

 

Organizing Institutions

Polish Sociological Association – Section of Economic Sociology & Warsaw Department

Polish Academy of Sciences – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology

University of Warsaw – Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialization

 

Contact / Organizers

Mateusz Halawa (Polish Academy of Sciences – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology; School of Form; New School for Social Research in New York): halam023@icloud.com

Adriana Mica (University of Warsaw – Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialization): a.mica@uw.edu.pl

Marta Olcoń-Kubicka (Polish Academy of Sciences – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology): molcon-kubicka@ifispan.waw.pl.

Katarzyna M. Wyrzykowska (Polish Sociological Association): katarzyna@wyrzykowska.net

 

Author of Poster

Ioana Mica: mica_ioana@yahoo.com.