Market Society

Market Society provides an original and accessible review ofchanging conceptions of the market in modern social thought. Thebook considers markets as social institutions rather than simplyformal models, arguing that modern ideas of the market are based oncritical notions of social order, social action and socialrelations. Examining a range of perspectives on the market fromacross different social science disciplines, Market Societysurveys a complex field of ideas in a clear and comprehensivemanner. In this way it seeks to extend economic sociology beyond acritique of mainstream economics, and to engage more broadly withsocial, political and cultural theory.
The book explores historical approaches to the emergence of amodern market society, as well as major approaches to the marketwithin modern economic theory and sociology. It addresses keyarguments in economic sociology and anthropology, the relationbetween markets and states, and critical and cultural theories ofmarket rationality. It concludes with a discussion of markets andculture in a late modern context.
This wide-ranging text will be of interest to undergraduate andpostgraduate students in sociology, economic theory and history,politics, social and political theory, anthropology and culturalstudies.