Sociology 715: Historical and Economic Sociology

THE SYLLABUS

	Charles Tilly, Big Structures, Large Processes, Hugh Comparisons, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1980.
	Karl Polanyi,  The Great Transformation. 2nd Edition. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.
	David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1989.

There will be a variety of other materials, made available either via the Internet or as handouts.

January 16        Introduction: Outline of the Course

January 23, 30  Historical/Economic Sociology: A very relevant classic: 

                    Assign: Polanyi, Great Transformation (all)

February 6, 13 What is Historical Sociology?

  Assign: Tilly, Big Structures (all).

  Manicas, "Historical Sociology" (Blackboard).

 Manicas, "Considering Comparisons."

February 20, 27  Current Methodological Issues

                    Assign: Hector, Calhoun, Somers (JSTOR)

                    Manicas, "Realist Theory of Science."

March 6, 13 Problems in Neo-classical Theory

 Assign: A. Karmark, "Micro-Economics," Manicas, "Neo-Classical Theory: A Sketch."Manicas, :"The Magic of Markets" (Blackboard.)

Manicas, Capitalism, "Capital: The Bare Bones,"  "Marx’s Critique of Capitalism," (Blackboard)

Pooley and Manicas, "Wall Street Fallacies" (Blackboard)

March 20    Economic Sociology

Assign: Polanyi, "The Economy as an Instituted Process."

M. Granoveter, "Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness."

March 27   An Illustration: Labor Markets

Assign: Granovetter and Tilly, "Inequality and Labor Process."

April 3      Market vs Plan

Assign: Manicas,"Plan vs.Market,"   Pranab Bardhan and John E. Roemer,  "Market Socialism: A Case for Rejuvenation The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 6, No. 3. (Summer, 1992), pp. 101-116;  John Roemer, "An Anti-Hayekian Manifesto," New Left Review. 

Diane Elson, "Market Socialism or Socialization of the Market?" New Left Review.

Manicas, "Markets: Privatized and Socialized;"

April 10 Transition to Capitalism: Instituting Markets

Assign: Peter Murrell, "The Transition According to Cambridge, Mass.,"  (Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. XXXIII, 1995);  Andrew Walder: "Markets and Inequality in Transitional Economies: Toward Testable Theories,"  (AJS, Vol 101, 1996)

April 17, 24, May 1 Understanding the Present: A Recent Classic

Assign: Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity (all)

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