The «Economic» and the «Social»: Autonomy of Spheres and Disciplinary Boundaries
Research agenda of the New Economic Sociology since its emergence in the 1970—1980s can be described as a «negative program», focused mainly on critique of economics. Nowadays many economic sociologists as well as sympathizing economists observe theoretical crisis of the negative program. Drawing on the works by M. Weber and K. Polanyi it is shown that fundamental drawbacks of the particular economic-sociological model of explanation arise from the widespread belief of economic sociologists that economic action is a form of social action. The author argues that the problematic relation between «economic» and «social» shouldn’t serve for drawing aprioristic disciplinary boundaries between economics and economic sociology. Instead the suggestion is put forward to make this relation the subject of economic-sociological study and indicate some fresh and important theoretical tools for such an agenda.