This article examines the contemporary reception of Karl Polanyi’s thought, particularly his seminal work The Great Transformation (1944), proposing that renewed interest in his ideas tends to intensify during periods of structural crisis, when the dominant economic order is in tension and conventional explanatory frameworks become insufficient. Through a bibliographic and contextual analysis, the article identifies two major waves of reception: the first (1970–1990), articulated as a critique of emerging neoliberalism and the limitations of Keynesianism; and the second (2008–present), linked to the global financial crisis and new forms of commodification, with contributions from critical theory, solidarity economy, and economic sociology. Finally, the article offers a philosophical and epistemological reflection on the conditions that make this renewed attention possible. Overall, it argues that Polanyi’s relevance lies not merely in thematic updates, but in his ability to conceptualize the economy as a socially, institutionally, and morally embedded phenomenon in times of historical transformation.

Changes in economic activities in Muslim society are phenomena influenced by social, cultural, and legal aspects. Sociology and anthropology of Islamic law play an important role in understanding these dynamics, including how the application of sharia principles adapts to the times. This research uses a qualitative literature study approach, examining written sources from classical texts and academic literature related to the sociology of law, legal anthropology, and Islamic economics. Data were collected from journal articles, books, and open documents through various online repositories, and then analyzed descriptively and holistically, The results of the study show that social and economic changes continue to affect the application of Islamic law and sharia economics. Islamic economic principles that are rooted in the values of monotheism, justice, and morals are the main guidelines in adapting to the development of economic activities. The application of this principle also shows the dynamism in social reality and the importance of understanding the socio-cultural context. The dynamics of this change underscore the need for a comprehensive study of the relationship between legal, social, and economic in the context of Islam. Adjustments to the needs of the times will strengthen the sustainability of the sharia economy and be able to maintain a balance between religious norms and the social needs of the community.

Labor motivation in small teams of Russian micro-enterprises represents one of the least studied problems in modern economic sociology. The specific nature of socio-labor relations in the context of micro-business, where informal practices systematically prevail over formal institutions, necessitates a fundamental revision of classical theoretical approaches. As the study demonstrates, a hybrid motivational system becomes the key mechanism in this environment. It is built on compensating for the systemic deficit of formal guarantees, such as stable pay or social benefits, through personalized attention from the manager, flexible working conditions, and the integration of the employee into the quasi-family relations of the team. However, existing motivation theories, initially developed for analyzing large corporate structures, prove incapable of adequately accounting for the specifics of personalized relationships that form in small teams. The aim of the article is to analyze the theoretical and methodological foundations of researching labor motivation in micro-enterprises and to devel-op an alternative conceptual model that allows for the investigation of compensatory motivation mechanisms under conditions of the total dominance of informal practices.

The new generation of Teochew diaspora is emerging as a critical force linking their homeland with global resources. How their "cultural identity" is effectively converted into "investment willingness" is a core issue for the sustainable development of Qiaoxiang (hometowns of overseas Chinese). Traditional research has either been confined to the singular perspective of "emotional drive" or fallen into the trap of "rational choice" economic reductionism, neglecting the complexity and dynamism of the conversion process. This article, based on the "embeddedness" theory from economic sociology, constructs a "Emotion-Network-Institution" triple-logic analytical framework to parse this conversion mechanism. The study posits that: Emotional Logic serves as the foundational impetus for the conversion, centered on "nostalgic memory" and "identity," providing the original psychological momentum and value orientation. Network Logic acts as the conversion accelerator, utilizing social capital such as "Teochew chambers of commerce" and "fellow townsmen associations" as vectors. Through information screening and credit endorsement, it accelerates the filtration of abstract emotional intentions into concrete business opportunities. Institutional Logic functions as the security guarantee, with the business environment, represented by "policy transparency" and "property rights protection," providing the final safety threshold and legitimacy guarantee for investment decisions, determining the conversion's sustainability and scale. These three logics are nested and sequential, collectively forming a complete closed loop for the conversion of the new generation's cultural identity into economic behavior. This study aims to transcend the "culture/economy" dichotomy, offering a new theoretical perspective for Qiaoxiang to implement precise policies and optimize work related to overseas Chinese affairs.

Abstract This essay argues for an integrative move in the investigation of the politics of ‘green’ finance. We suggest that approaching the politics of ‘green’ finance in the form of knowledge contestations can bring out complementarities and bridge divides between different levels of analysis and theoretical traditions. Our focus is motivated by the pivotal role of knowledge and ignorance in the organisation and governance of financial markets identified in economic sociology, political economy, and neighbouring disciplines. Drawing on this scholarship, we consider knowledge both a forum for and a means of politics. We then illustrate how this conceptualisation provides insights into the politics of ‘green’ finance on different levels of analysis and following different theoretical traditions: in the context of tracing elites in their dissemination of specific ideas shaping governance regimes; when following market devices which produce partial calculative representations of the world; in problematising how financial organisations both produce and accept certain types of knowledge to further their interests; and when examining the role of ideology and imaginative capture in stabilising financial capitalism during climate crisis. We conclude by identifying the connective tissue between these different analytical and theoretical approaches made visible by the integrative concept of politics as knowledge contestations.

This study investigates the socioeconomic dynamics of food price volatility and its asymmetric impacts on regional inflation across Java and Sumatra, Indonesia’s two most economically influential islands. The research aims to analyze the short- and long-term effects of food commodity price fluctuations on regional inflation, compare the structure and magnitude of price transmission mechanisms between the two regions, and identify key commodities that drive inflation disparities. Using a quantitative explanatory approach integrated with sociological interpretation, monthly time-series data from 2020 to 2024 across six provinces are analyzed through ADF stationarity tests, VAR/VECM models, Granger causality, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition, complemented by sociological indicators such as logistics index, GRDP per capita, and household food expenditure ratio. The findings show that short-term inflationary pressures stem mainly from price shocks in red chili, shallots, and cooking oil, while long-term persistence is driven by dependence on rice, beef, and chili. Inflation in Java is largely demand-driven, whereas Sumatra’s inflation reflects supply-side constraints and weak market integration. The study’s novelty lies in combining macroeconomic modeling with regional sociological analysis, offering a socioeconomic inflation dynamics framework that reframes inflation as a socially embedded process. The research advances economic sociology by linking inflation behavior with social structure, regional inequality, and policy responsiveness.

Scope of Submissions We welcome original research in all areas of social sciences, including but not limited to: Sociology Economics Management Education Psychology Anthropology Political Science Public Policy Communication Cultural Studies Accepted article types include empirical studies, theoretical discussions, case analyses, and literature reviews.

This article analyzes the theoretical renewal of the development concept following the failure of the economic models of the 1960s and 1970s. Drawing on the conceptual frameworks of Gilbert Rist (2007) regarding the deconstruction of development paradigms and Amartya Sen (1999) concerning human capabilities, we demonstrate how the integration of environmental sustainability and humanism addresses contemporary challenges. Our approach combines the historical analysis of economic crises with the study of the emergence of a new North American economic sociology (Granovetter, 1985; Zelizer, 2011), which reintegrates social variables into development models. The results indicate that this conceptual renewal makes it possible to move beyond purely quantitative approaches to growth, proposing instead a multidimensional framework anchored in human well-being and ecological resilience.

Institutionalist economic sociology reveals that markets are constructed through state power and legitimacy, not spontaneous phenomena. However, understanding the ongoing social processes of market building remains limited, as changes are usually framed as byproducts of crises. Constructivist approaches offer valuable insights into the political processes of institutional construction and change. Yet, studies often neglect the legal aspects, leading to the underappreciation of how different institutions gain varying political weight and socioeconomic consequences. This paper addresses this gap by examining the connections between legal form and political dynamics in market construction. Using Brazil's banking market reconstruction (1994–2002) as a case study, it illustrates how legal forms influenced critical political variables, such as actors involved, policy options, the timing of state actions, crisis diagnoses, and transparency. Through qualitative content analysis of documents, the paper demonstrates how legal mechanisms profoundly shaped the politics of market changes.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of women’s empowerment on poverty reduction in Kabale Municipality, Uganda. Specifically, the study sought to: (i) assess the effect of women’s access to productive resources on poverty reduction, (ii) establish how women’s participation in decision-making contributes to poverty reduction, and (iii) analyze the influence of women’s access to formal education on poverty reduction. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from 301 participants using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (simple linear regression analysis) were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that women’s access to productive resources (r = .669**), participation in decision-making (r = .838**) and access to formal education all had strong and statistically significant effects on poverty reduction. The study concludes that women’s economic empowerment, participation in decision-making and access to education are critical drivers of poverty reduction in Kabale Municipality. The study further recommends that the government and development partners should strengthen initiatives that enhance women’s access to economic resources, leadership opportunities and formal education, while also addressing cultural barriers. Further research is suggested to deepen the understanding of these barriers and their influence on poverty reduction.</p><p><strong>JEL:</strong> I32 – Measurement and Analysis of Poverty, J16 – Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination, O15 – Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration, I25 – Education and Economic Development, Z13 – Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification, H53 – Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0488/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

ABSTRACT Social finance is a relatively new but prominent category of finance which promises social goods alongside profits. It draws upon large amounts of quantified data on social relations and realities, in order to create risk assessments and future profit projections. Scholarship in economic sociology and critical finance studies captures the quantification of social phenomena and practices of data coloniality in socially oriented finance. This can end up perpetuating finance’s projection as a global force that impacts and quantifies the social. Complicating this characterization, I use ethnographic methods and explore Geneva-based social finance professionals’ work practices and performances. Social finance professionals modulate between quantification practices to make social information legible to investors and affective embodiments of faith in markets and self-characterization as ‘activists’ working in finance. This modulation between multiple, seemingly disparate performances attracts investments and constitutes social finance markets. These ambivalent professional performances reveal the ways in which finance incorporates critique such as after the 2008 crisis and, renews faith in financial markets as a solution to social challenges.

The article analyzes approaches to the study of the socio-economic nature of population aging, formed within the framework of economic sociology. In general, two such approaches are distinguished – cost and consum-er-cost. The cost approach is associated with the monetary dimension of social relations, which include elderly people. The consumer-cost approach deals with natural-material forms of social relations that are associated with elderly people and their participation in the life of society. The article provides a description of the above-mentioned approaches in relation to the analysis of human aging processes. The specifics of the implementa-tion of these approaches in relation to the problems of consumption and income of elderly people are ana-lyzed. The article concludes that the cost and consumer-cost approaches in economic sociology are comple-mentary and mutually presupposed in relation to the study of the problems of the social nature of human aging. This means that for a comprehensive understanding of it, it is necessary to take into account both financial and natural aspects of the interaction of elderly people with society, which in turn can help in the development of more effective strategies for supporting and integrating this category of citizens into modern society.

This essay challenges the "over-socialized" perspective of classical economic sociologists and the "under-socialized" conception of classical economists as "homo economicus," contending that economic actions are deeply rooted in society. In doing this, I have fully relied on Mark Granovetter's idea of social embeddedness, which critiques both the over-socialized view of people as merely puppets of normative social conduct proposed by some sociological theories and the under-socialized view of atomistic rational actors frequently promoted in economics. Rather, economic agents are thought of as balanced actors who make decisions and act in certain ways, either through generalized morality or the abstract logic of the market or through continuous, tangible social relationships, trust, and network structure. Taking inspiration from earlier thinkers like Karl Polanyi, this essay broadens its scope to explore the socio-economic landscape of Nepal in depth. It vividly illustrates how economic activities are intricately linked to kinship, ethnicity, power dynamics, and cultural obligations—ranging from Dhukuti (ROSCA) to Guthi systems, remittances, community forestry, and the complex networks of caste and patron-client relationships. The essay delves into the nuances of embeddedness, including its potential downsides in addition to the methodological challenges of its study. It wraps up with a strong assertion that economic life is inherently social, advocating for a holistic perspective that merges economic rationalities with the social fabric shaped by human interactions and structures, which is essential for both accurate analyses and effective interventions.

This article develops an analytic framework composed of six narrative forms through which disruptive economic change is interpreted and legitimized. Drawing on two eventful contexts—economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing climate transformations—I identify six narrative forms: redistribution, creative destruction, individual resilience, moral economy, decline for all, and growth for all. Each narrative constructs legitimacy through distinct temporal logics, visions of the state, and constructions of the social order. The analysis integrates insights from economic sociology, political sociology, and eventful theory to trace how narratives stabilize (in)equality and justify varying degrees of state intervention. The narrative forms all relate in different ways to crisis egalitarianism, the idea that disruption affects everyone equally; this interpretive tendency can legitimize postcrisis inequalities as natural or deserved. By treating narratives as eventful meaning-making devices, the framework advances a sociological understanding of legitimacy as a temporal construct.

This study aims to analyze the role of Instagram in shaping the social practices of local tourism actors at Pasir Panjang Beach, Kei Islands. The research focuses on how tourism stakeholders use Instagram as a medium to produce, distribute, and manage visual narratives about their destination. Employing a qualitative approach through digital observation, in-depth interviews, and content analysis, this study explores how visual representations on social media impact the formation of digital identity, strengthen social relations, and transform the economic strategies of coastal communities. The findings reveal that Instagram functions not only as a promotional tool but also as a symbolic space where tourism actors construct a collective self-image, expand social networks, and articulate economic aspirations grounded in local wisdom. This study offers a novel contribution by integrating theories of digital identity and economic sociology within the context of coastal tourism, an area that has received limited attention in global sociological literature. The findings recommend the development of digital literacy programs sensitive to local cultural contexts to support sustainable tourism practices and empower coastal communities in the digital economy era.

This study aims to examine and analyse the phenomenon of religious commodification from the perspective of economic sociology, focusing on the case of Hajj Furoda as a form of commercialised worship practice. Religious commodification refers to the process by which religious symbols and rituals—including the pilgrimage to Mecca—are treated as marketable commodities within a capitalist system. A qualitative descriptive method was employed through literature review, drawing on various sources such as academic journals, books, government regulations, and media reports related to the implementation and controversy surrounding Hajj Furoda in Indonesia. The findings reveal that Hajj Furoda reflects a shift in the meaning of pilgrimage, from a spiritual obligation to a premium product within the religious industry. This phenomenon generates ambivalence in society: on the one hand, it is seen as a practical solution for fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam more quickly; on the other hand, it raises concerns about unequal access, the commercialisation of religious teachings, and potential regulatory violations. From the perspective of economic sociology, the Hajj Furoda case illustrates a complex relationship between religion, the market, and the state—where spirituality is increasingly shaped by the logic of profit and social status. This study underscores the importance of ethical scrutiny and regulatory oversight of religious practices that have been absorbed into capitalist systems.

Within the conceptual frame of relational economic sociology, inheritance disputes are a canonical form of relational mismatch. But the social patterning of relational mismatches, and their various ties to inequality, remain murky. In this paper, I examine all known inheritance disputes in Dallas from 1895-1945 within their social context to generate hypotheses about the relationship between inequality and mismatches more broadly. Inheritance disputes were usually resolved by increasing the spread of fortunes; in this sense, they moderated wealth inequality between individuals. But not everyone was equally able to make their preferred estate distribution a reality. Using a series of case studies, I argue that dispute resolutions tended to reify normative family structures and naturalize sharp, moralized distinctions between fuzzy social categories. The legal resolutions to this class of relational mismatches may marginally mitigate individual-level wealth inequality and simultaneously produce categorical inequalities by race, class, gender, sexuality, and family structure. I conclude with a set of hypotheses and questions for future studies.

Drawing on interviews with 37 entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists and investors in the New York City tech scene involved in AI, we investigate the social formations that characterize “AI-hype” from the perspective of micro-level economic sociology. We observe how actors in New York draw symbolic boundaries between their own work and that of “hype-beasts” in San Francisco, despite drawing upon and profiting from the same sociotechnical imaginaries about AI’s transformative potential. We show how this symbolic boundary work serves to legitimate the local ecosystem, to provide moral valuations for the exchange of capital, to ground different temporalities that inspire urgency in their work, and to enact spatial boundaries amid competing sociotechnical imaginaries. We demonstrate how these contestations contribute to the construction of powerful relevant social groups and their respective technological systems. We thus use the case of AI to take steps toward developing a sociology of hype, drawing on literature in the sociology of technology, boundary work in the professions, and economic sociology.

ABSTRACTSociologists examine various forms of quantification and their consequences. In organizational sociology, the interloper perspective represents the dominant view on quantification, conceptualizing it as a new field actor that creates commercial opportunities through the institutionalization of quantification mechanisms and generates changes in institutions and organizations. After defining the interloper perspective and demonstrating its applications in organizational sociology, we discuss the assumptions and limitations of this perspective in understanding quantification processes. We then identify three mechanisms that contribute to the institutionalization of quantification in organizational research. Next, we present four alternative approaches to studying quantification drawn from political and economic sociology. We argue that organizational sociology of quantification can benefit from these alternatives by generating new theoretical questions about quantification processes and their impact on institutions: quantification is an interactive process that must address the demands of those being quantified; the production of quantification creates uncertainties as problems of cooperation and coordination emerge; the success of quantification depends on material mechanisms such as quantification devices; and social relations and collective action can increase plurality and diversity in the outcomes of quantification processes. Finally, we discuss how these new theoretical puzzles can be explored using theories of organizations and institutions.

The article summarizes the discussion on the issues of labor, employment, human capital and its management that was had at a meeting of the scientific section of the Department of Economic Sociology of St Petersburg State University as part of the IX St Petersburg International Labor Forum, which was held on April 2–4 2025 in St Petersburg. The article summarizes three reports given at the section meeting that were devoted to the issues of pointless labor in the organization and management of it, the problem of forced overtime employment in Russian organizations and models of its construction by employers, the problem of labor organization in the workplace. The article also summarizes the scientific discussion as part of discussing the reports as well as other issues of the development of the labor sphere.