SOCY3129 · Sociology

Dirty hands vs. Clean models: Sociology, Economics, and Economic Sociology

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Are credit ratings ubiquitous because they are accurate? How did life insurance become a thing? Which kind of connections would be more likely to get you a job? What role does the sex industry in Viet Nam play in transnational capital flow?In this course we will explore how sociologists conceptualize and analyze economic life. We will read works that provide alternative answers to problems conventionally under the domain of economics, which assumes individuals to be "rational," utility maximizing actors. We will examine how sociologists bring "social" or "non-rational" concerns - gender, race, class, morality, culture, and so on - back to the table to explain economic activities and how markets and economic institutions function.This is a read and write heavy class, but it is a journey well worth travelling for not only sociology majors but also those curious about the sociological perspective.