Reading the Classics of economic sociology

This course aims to provide an opportunity to reflect on the “classics”’ contributions to the sociological understanding of the economy. The reason why Marx, Weber and Durkheim’s works are considered as classics is that, writing in the XIX-early XX Century, they did not take capitalism as granted and reflected on the ‘big question’ on how such system was possible – unlike more recent economic sociology that has focused on ‘meso’ problems such as institutions and networks. Their ideas were general enough to become ‘paradigms’, within which further scholars worked in different directions. The recent crises – the financial crisis of 2008, the trade wars and resurgence of states’ economic roles… – have led to a resurgence of such ‘big question’ and a renowned interest in the classics among current economic sociologists. Marx, Weber and Durkheim were also European white men from a specific period, and their works have been both challenged and developed over time by authors with different social positions and identities. For this reason, the seminar will look into each of them with two sessions: one devoted to the author, with the opportunity to get back to their original readings, and one devoted to more recent applications and developments by more diverse authors. The final session will discuss whether the classic ‘canon’ should be updates, through the addition in particular of WEB Du Bois.