Mainstream Methodology, Financial Markets and Global Political Economy

Abstract

The experience of financial markets in the global economy is open to a variety of interpretations, based on different framings, with important consequences for economic policy. Knowledge about financial markets, and the methodology employed to build it, can be understood in terms of framing. The underlying argument of the paper is in favour of considering the framing of financial markets within an open-system approach, allowing input from other disciplines, as well as taking account of the real, often performative, implications of (closed-system) mainstream framing by policy-makers. The methodological underpinnings of, and interdependencies between, different framings among theorists, policy-makers, market players and users is explored.