Economic Sociology

Economic sociology analyses economic life with sociological theories, concepts, and methods, discovering that economic structures and processes are also social structures and processes.

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the field of Economic Sociology, familiarize them with classical and contemporary literature. Economic sociology, in which the classics of sociology (Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Simmel, among others) and economics (Veblen, Commons, Schumpeter) stand out, has undergone significant development in recent years. Economic sociology is concerned with analysing the foundations of economic life from a perspective centred on the social but openly interdisciplinary. He argues that economic phenomena and the behaviour of actors (individuals, families, firms, and organizations) are embedded in culture, social structure, social and power networks, and ultimately in the environment and socialized nature.
The sociological study of economic life includes, among other topics, the analysis of the forms of social regulation of innovation and the production of knowledge, its relationship with the environmental crisis, the organization of production, the market and inter-company cooperation networks, the space of qualification and professional mobility, and finally, the consumption space.

The course offers Business Administration and Management students the most advanced theories and sociological concepts for the analysis of economic life and in particular for the understanding of companies and organizations, markets and other institutions that contribute to the regulation of the social, labour or economic framework in which they are located. Special emphasis will be placed on the environmental crisis and on the responsibility of companies and large corporations.

Object and Method of Economic Sociology. The embedding of the economy and business in society and the environment. Social structure and culture in the economy and in business. Power, politics and interest groups. Social institutions and the regulation of the economy. Science, technology and innovation. Coordination and control in organizations: comparative analysis. Markets as Social and Institutional Constructs: Sociological Perspectives Network Formation. Profession, education and work systems. Social stratification, mobility and the labour market. Consumption processes, lifestyles and leisure. The networked society and the knowledge economy. Forms of communication and global society.

Basic Bibliography:

Herranz, R. (2003). Los fundamentos de la Nueva Sociología Económica y la Sociología de las Organizaciones. Caracas. Ceatpro.
Herranz, R. (2007). La Sociología de los mercados internos de trabajo. Madrid. CES.
Ingham, G. (2010). Capitalismo. Madrid. Alianza Editorial.
Portes, A (2013). La Sociología económica. Una introducción sistemática. Madrid. CIS.
Santana Turégano, M. Ángel (2022). ¿Homo economicus u homo sociologicus? Introducción a la sociología para la economía, la empsa y las finarenzas, Madrid. Aula Magna- McGraw Hill.


Supplementary bibliography:

Castells, M. (1997). La era de la información. Economía, cultura y sociedad. 3 Vols. Alianza, Madrid.
Durkheim, E., (1987)( La división del trabajo social, Madrid, Ed. Akal.
Fernández Enguita, Mariano (1998). Economía y Sociología. Para un análisis sociológico de la realidad económica. Madrid, CIS
Garvía, R. (2004). Análisis de organizaciones. Madrid, CIS.
Esping-Andersen, G.(2000). Fundamentos sociales de las economías postindustriales. Barcelona, Ariel.
Granovetter, M., Acción económica y estructura social: el problema de la incrustación, en Requena Santos, F., Análisis de redes sociales, Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, Madrid, 2003.
Herranz, R. (2008). George Simmel y la Sociología Económica: el mercado, las formas sociales y el análisis estratégico. PAPERS, Revista de Sociología, nº 87.
Izquierdo, A. (coord.) (2008), El modelo de inmigración y los riesgos de exclusión. Madrid, Fundación FOESSA.
Moreno, L. (coord.) (2009). Reformas de las políticas del bienestar en España. Madrid, Ed. Siglo XXI.
Sayer, A. y Walker, R. (1994). La Nueva Economía Social. Reelaboración de la división del trabajo. Madrid: Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social.
Swedberg, R., y Smelser, N (1994, 2ª ed. 2005) Handbook of Economic Sociology, N.J. Princeton University Press.
VVAA, (2002). Sociología del Consumo, monográfico de Política y Sociedad, Vol. 44, Núm. 1.
Weber, M., (1977). Economía y sociedad [1922]. México, Fondo de cultura Económica.

Electronic resources and web addresses of interest:

IESA. Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados http://www.iesa.csic.es/
Instituto Nacional de Estadística de España: http://www.ine.es
Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas: http://www.cis.es
Comité de Investigación en Sociología Económica- FES https://sites.google.com/site/sociologiaeconomicafes/home
Federación Española de Sociología: http://www.fes-web.org (Véase Comité de Sociologia Económica, sección Documentos)
Fundación FOESSA: http://www.foessa.org
Observatorio social de España: http://www.observatoriosocial.org/ose/
EUROSTAT: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/
Eurobarometro: http://ec.europa.eu/public_

Competencies of the degree in which the subject contributes:

- Know and understand the company from a historical, social and institutional point of view.
- Have the knowledge that defines Administration and Management as a scientific discipline, including its theories, history, methods, techniques and areas of application, at an advanced level in the literature and that includes those aspects that are most relevant and that are at the forefront of knowledge in this field.
- Possess general knowledge and learning skills necessary to continue studying and carry out specialized studies in various business and related areas with a high degree of autonomy.
-Communicate fluently in their environment and teamwork.

Subject-specific competencies
- Understand how economic and business activity is embedded in society, that is, in the social structure, culture, institutions and power relations.
- Learn to correctly interpret the sociological language used in the analysis of different areas and institutions relevant to companies and organizations.
- Understand the various forms of coordination and control in organizations and the role of social networks in economic life.
- Know how to define the most important dimensions of the structures and social changes that affect the construction of markets and organizations.
- Development of competencies in the analysis of socio-economic documentation.

Previous recommendations: Basic Economics, Business Economics and Statistical Methods.

In the lectures in which the essential theoretical and methodological contents of the subject will be introduced and explained, the problems that affect these contents are discussed and discussed with the active participation of the students. At the beginning of the course, students will have access to the didactic material and bibliographic references selected and required reading to be able to actively participate in their preparation in accordance with the guidance and support of the teaching team.

In the case of interactive classes, the student must present and comment, following the criteria established by the teacher, a set of materials, including audiovisual elements, reports or readings and texts. In these, the essential theoretical and methodological contents of the subject are expanded, illustrated or applied. This task will be completed by means of sociologically based debates on current issues and other activities and tasks, as well as different tests that allow to assess the understanding of the subjects worked.

In general, the grade obtained as a result of participation in the expository and interactive classes, together with the completion of the different works and tasks to be carried out in them, will weigh 40% of the final grade.
Attendance, participation and submission of the work is a condition for evaluating the final exam. This examination regarding the theoretical contents of the course will affect the remaining 60% of the grade in this subject.

To pass it, it will be necessary to obtain at least half of the score of the interactive part and a third of the score of the exam.
The specific list of the different activities that can be evaluated throughout the course and the way in which they will be controlled, as well as the evaluations for specific situations (dispensing assistance, individual tutoring needs or others) will be indicated in the teaching guides corresponding to each of the groups of the subject (morning or afternoon shift) that will be published in the virtual classroom.

In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the regulations will be followed to evaluate the academic performance of students and to review grades. Repeating students must carry out the same activities and tasks as for the first enrolment.

Around 40 hours of independent study and 27.5 hours for readings, comments, texts and data interpretation.

Follow-up of the classes and the completion of the readings and the defined tasks. Likewise, during the course of teaching, different audiovisual subjects and readings will be recommended that help to complement and expand the contents addressed and that will be voluntary work that is not assessable but highly advisable.
It is also important to try to keep up to date with current socioeconomic or socio-political events, since the subject has a vocation to connect theory and beach, for which the most recent cases or examples will be used (including those that occur during the course itself).