Economics and Sociology (Re-defining the Scope of Research: A Dialogue with Economists and Sociologists)

Author: Sweden: Richard Swedberg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-08
Features: This book is a collection of interviews with the author and several renowned economists and sociologists, primarily exploring the re-drawing of the boundary between economics and sociology. The book also elaborates on how to address the challenges posed by the separation between these two fields, as well as the different suggestions and future prospects offered by the interviewees for integrating them. The boundary between economics and sociology is currently being redefined—how to define it, why to define it, and who should define it? After interviewing many famous economists, Richard Swedberg addresses these questions in this thought-provoking interview collection. The basic situation is that for most of the 20th century, economists and sociologists largely ignored each other, with analyses of social problems as if there were no economic factors involved, and analyses of economic problems as if there were no social factors involved. However, today these two fields are engaging in dialogue, with economists considering social issues and sociologists gradually showing interest in rational choice and "new economic sociology."