Economic Sociology

The aim of this module to provide an introduction to some of the most significant trends in the sociological understanding of economic phenomena. Throughout the discussion of classic and current works of the discipline of wide international reputation the following fundamental topics will be tackled: the historical development of capitalism (Weber), the autonomy and embeddedness of the market system (Polanyi) the role of social networks in economics (Granovetter), the different types of capitals and strategies (Hirschman) and the economic world system (Böröcz) with special attention to Europe. Due to the wide range of interdisciplinary approaches this module is particularly recommended to students interested in one or more of the following fields: history, sociology and economics.