Markets and Economic Institutions: Is New Economic Sociology a Serious Contender?

Year 2021, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 330 - 348, 31.12.2021

İhsan Ercan Sadi

https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1026685

Abstract

This paper attempts to evaluate the contributions of mainstream economic sociology on its reconceptualization of markets and economic institutions. By doing so, it discusses whether new economic sociology can be a serious contender to conventional economic thinking. After critically reviewing a selected set of ideal-typical works from the sub-field, ranging from embeddedness/network and field analyses to performativist accounts, it reaches the conclusion that the new economic sociology cannot pose a serious threat to the conventional way of doing economics-- largely due to the fact that both intellectual traditions share a great deal of common understanding of power relations in society. For the new economic sociology to elevate itself from a mere equivalent of imperfect competition in economics, it should rather benefit from a long tradition of scholarly work in political sociology; and institutionalist accounts within the very sub-field itself seem to be the main valid candidate to pursue such a course of action.

Keywords

Market Structure, Imperfect Competition, Status, Transaction Cost Approach, Social Constructivist View of Economic Institutions, Network Forms of Organization

Piyasalar ve İktisadi Kurumlar: Yeni Ekonomik Sosyoloji Ciddi Bir Rakip Mi?

Abstract

Bu makalede, yerleşik ekonomik sosyolojik yaklaşımın piyasaları ve iktisadi kurumları yeniden kavramsallaştırmasına katkısını değerlendirmeyi ve “yeni ekonomik sosyoloji”nin geleneksel iktisadi düşünceye ciddi bir rakip olup olamayacağını tartışmayı amaçlıyoruz. Bu maksatla, “yeni ekonomik sosyoloji”nin toplumsal iç içe geçmişlik (embeddedness)/toplumsal ağlar (networks) ve Bourdieucu alan çözümlemelerinden (field analysis) performativist açıklamalara varana değin bir dizi ideal-tipik çalışmasını eleştirel bir şekilde inceleyip her iki entelektüel geleneğin de toplumdaki iktidar/güç ilişkilerini benzer bir şekilde kavrıyor olmasından dolayı, ekonomik sosyoloji alt-alanının mevcut haliyle geleneksel iktisadi düşünme biçimlerine ciddi bir tehdit oluşturamadığı sonucuna varıyoruz. “Yeni ekonomik sosyoloji”nin yerleşik iktisadi düşüncede zaten kabul görmüş olan “eksik rekabet” anlayışının salt bir eşdeğeri olma konumundan ayrışabilmesi için, toplumsal bilimlerde köklü bir geçmişi olan siyaset sosyolojisinin kuramsal yaklaşım ve kavramsal çerçevesinden faydalanması gerektiğini iddia ediyor; ve alt-alanın kendi içindeki kurumsalcı çalışmaların bu yönde atılacak adımlar için iyi bir başlangıç zemini sunabileceğini göstermeye çalışıyoruz.

Keywords

Piyasa Yapısı, Eksik Rekabet, Statü, İşlem Maliyeti Yaklaşımı, İktisadi Kurumlara Toplumsal İnşacı Yaklaşım, Toplumsal Ağ Biçimlerine Dayalı Örgütlenme

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