This course introduces students to the field of economic sociology defined as the study of economic life—markets and organizations—using the sociological imagination. The primary learning objectives for this class are as follows: first, students learn the basic insights of early theorists, and how such insights have led to the current approaches to economic sociology, second students learn the range of current sociological work on the economy; especially the institutional, network, power, culture and cognition frameworks. Third, students understand the differences between economic and sociological views of economic organization. Fourth, students develop and apply critical thinking skills in their discussions, researching, and writing about the sociology of economic life. Finally, students take responsibility for their learning and understand the importance of a community of learners for individual learning.
