Economic Lives : How Culture Shapes the Economy

Revealing the human side of economic life Over the past three decades, economic sociology has been revealing how culture shapes economic life even while economic facts affect social relationships. This work has transformed the field into a flourishing and increasingly influential discipline. No one has played a greater role in this development than Viviana Zelizer, one of the world's leading sociologists. Economic Lives synthesizes and extends her most important work to date, demonstrating the full breadth and range of her field-defining contributions in a single volume for the first time. Economic Lives shows how shared cultural understandings and interpersonal relations shape everyday economic activities. Far from being simple responses to narrow individual incentives and preferences, economic actions emerge, persist, and are transformed by our relations to others. Distilling three decades of research, the book offers a distinctive vision of economic activity that brings out the hidden meanings and social actions behind the supposedly impersonal worlds of production, consumption, and asset transfer. Economic Lives ranges broadly from life insurance marketing, corporate ethics, household budgets, and migrant remittances to caring labor, workplace romance, baby markets, and payments for sex. These examples demonstrate an alternative approach to explaining how we manage economic activity—as well as a different way of understanding why conventional economic theory has proved incapable of predicting or responding to recent economic crises. Providing an important perspective on the recent past and possible futures of a growing field, Economic Lives promises to be widely read and discussed. Over The Past Three Decades, Economic Sociology Has Been Revealing How Culture Shapes Economic Life Even While Economic Facts Affect Social Relationships. This Work Has Transformed The Field Into A Flourishing And Increasingly Influential Discipline. No One Has Played A Greater Role In This Development Than Viviana Zelizer, One Of The World's Leading Sociologists. Economic Lives Synthesizes And Extends Her Most Important Work To Date, Demonstrating The Full Breadth And Range Of Her Field-defining Contributions In A Single Volume For The First Time. Economic Lives Shows How Shared Cultural Understandings And Interpersonal Relations Shape Everyday Economic Activities. Far From Being Simple Response To Narrow Individual Incentives And Preferences, Economic Actions Emerge, Persist, And Are Transformed By Our Relations To Others. Distilling Three Decades Of Research, The Book Offers A Distinctive Vision Of Economic Activity That Brings Out The Hidden Meanings And Social Actions Behind The Supposedly Impersonal Worlds Of Production, Consumption, And Asset Transfer. Economic Lives Ranges Broadly From Life Insurance Marketing, Corporate Ethics, Household Budgets, And Migrant Remittances To Caring Labor, Work-place Romance, Baby Markets, And Payments For Sex. These Examples Demonstrate An Alternative Approach To Explaining How We Manage Economic Activity---as Well As A Different Way Of Understanding Why Conventional Economic Theory Has Proved Incapable Of Predicting Or Responding To Recent Economic Crises. Providing An Important Perspective On The Recent Past And Possible Futures Of A Growing Field, Economic Lives Promises To Be Widely Read And Discussed.--jacket. Introduction : The Lives Behind Economic Lives -- Pt. 1. Valuation Of Human Lives -- Human Values And The Market : The Case Of Life Insurance And Death In Nineteenth-century America -- The Price And Value Of Children : The Case Of Children's Insurance In The United States -- From Baby Farms To Baby M -- The Priceless Child Revisited -- Pt. 2. The Social Meaning Of Money -- The Social Meaning Of Money : Special Monies -- Fine Tuning The Zelizer View -- Payments And Social Ties -- Money, Power, And Sex -- Pt. 3. Intimate Economies -- Do Markets Poison Intimacy? -- The Purchase Of Intimacy -- Kids And Commerce -- Intimacy In Economic Organizations -- Pt. 4. The Economy Of Care -- Caring Everywhere -- Risky Exchanges -- Pt. 5. Circuits Of Commerce -- Circuits Within Capitalism -- Circuits In Economic Life -- Pt. 6. Appraising Economic Lives : Critiques And Syntheses -- Beyond The Polemics On The Market : Establishing A Theoretical And Empirical Agenda -- Pasts And Futures Of The Economic Sociology -- Culture And Consumption -- Ethics In The Economy. Viviana A. Zelizer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Over the past three decades, economic socialogy has been revealing how culture shapes economic life even while economic facts affect social relationships. This work has transformed the field into a flourishing and increasingly influential discipline. No one has played a greater role in this development than Viviana Zelizer, one of the world's leading sociologists. Economic Lives synthe-sizes and extends her most important work to date, demonstrating the full breadth and range of her field-defining contributions in a single volume for the first time." "Economic Lives shows how shared cultural understandings and interpersonal relations shape everyday economic activities. Far from being simple response to narrow individual incentives and preferences, economic actions emerge, persist, and are transformed by our relations to others. Distilling three decades of research, the book offers a distinctive vision of economic activity that brings out the hidden meanings and social actions behind the supposedly impersonal worlds of production, consumption, and asset transfer. Economic Lives ranges broadly from life insurance marketing, corporate ethics, household budgets, and migrant remittances to caring labor, work-place romance, baby markets, and payments for sex. These examples demonstrate an alternative approach to explaining how we manage economic activity--as well as a different way of understanding why conventional economic theory has proved incapable of predicting or responding to recent economic crises." "Providing an important perspective on the recent past and possible futures of a growing field, Economic Lives promises to be widely read and discussed."--BOOK JACKET. Over the past three decades, economic sociology has been revealing how culture shapes economic life even while economic facts affect social relationships. This work has transformed the field into a flourishing and increasingly influential discipline. This book shows how shared cultural understandings and interpersonal relations shape everyday economic activities. Far from being simple responses to narrow individual incentives and preferences, economic actions emerge, persist, and are transformed by our relations to others. Distilling three decades of research, the book offers a distinctive vision of economic activity that brings out the hidden meanings and social actions behind the supposedly impersonal worlds of production, consumption, and asset transfer. The book's scope ranges broadly from life insurance marketing, corporate ethics, household budgets, and migrant remittances to caring labor, workplace romance, baby markets, and payments for sex. These examples demonstrate an alternative approach to explaining how we manage economic activity—as well as a different way of understanding why conventional economic theory has proved incapable of predicting or responding to recent economic crises. The book provides an important perspective on the recent past and possible futures of a growing field.