UCL - Sociology of Economic Practices

[SOC2045]

[30h] 5 credits

Teacher(s): Christian Arnsperger, Thomas Périlleux

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

At the issue of this lecture, the student will be able to :
- locate the broad theoretical streams in sociology and economic anthropology;
- understand some of the socio-anthropological dimensions of the organisation of pro-duction, consumption, competition, etc., in the historical perspective of the genesis and development of capitalism;
- present a reason-why socio-anthropological analysis of a determined economic phe-nomenon.

Main themes

The lecture puts under scrutiny the vast question of the rationality of economic practices and the kind of society in which they are embedded and/or that they contribute to create. It aims at:
- Refusing the a priori division of social facts between economy, as a disci-pline, and the other social sciences;
- Taking into consideration the anthropological foundation and the existential roots of economic behaviour through a real dialogue between anthropology and economic sociology.
- What is at stake is the development of conceptual tools able to (1) subvert the rough rationalism of neoclassic economic theory, and (2) participate to a better understanding of the logic of economic action and of its ambiva-lence, in different empirical fields of study.

Content and teaching methods

The lecture is structured in two parts which respectively analyse the practices related to production and consumption in the context of contemporary capitalism, in contrast to other types of economic practices' formal organisation (for in-stance, the " traditional " economy of reciprocity or gift) and put into question the role of the market in the structuring of social activities.
This lecture requires an active participation of students, as it is accompanied by (compulsory) texts reading and as it stresses the importance of conceptual analysis and a synthetic mind.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Pre-requisite : Basic notions of sociology.

Evaluation : Written exam on the content of both the course and the texts provided by the lecturer.

Course materials : Written material (texts) will be provided.