Markets
Patrik Aspers
MPIfG Book
Abstract
Our lives have gradually become dominated by markets, which are not only at the heart of capitalistic economies all over the world, but also central to public debate. This insightful book brings together existing knowledge on markets, from sociology, economics and anthropology, and systematically investigates the different forms of markets we encounter daily in our social lives.
Aspers starts by defining what a market actually is, analyzing its essential elements as well as its required preconditions and varied outcomes. An important theme in the book is that a whole host of markets are embedded within one another and within our wider social lives. Aspers discusses these in the context of other forms of economic coordination such as networks and organizations. Combining theory with empirical examples, the book cuts to the core in understanding how different markets function, the role they have played in history, and how they come into being.
This accessible and theoretically rich book will be essential reading for advanced students seeking to make sense of markets and their complex role in social life.
Contents
Preface
1 Introduction
2 Coordination in the Economy
3 Markets in Social Life
4 Forms of Markets
5 Order out of Standard Offers
6 Order out of Status
7 Making and Controlling Markets
8 Conclusion and Future Research
