The article discusses the impact of social networks, which are formed in the context of voluntary associations, on democratic values such as tolerance. Although social theory predicts that voluntary associations promote tolerance, the analysis for post-socialist countries shows statistically insignificant or even negative relationship. The author suggests that the reason for very different effects of associational membership on tolerance in consolidated and new democracies should be sought in the structure of social networks.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29061469
The problem of the governance of economic transactions arises from the fact that they are sequential. This creates uncertainty regarding the fulfilment of implicit or explicit contracts. Institutional economics understands this uncertainty as arising from opportunism and seeks a solution in specialised contract enforcement institutions. Economic sociology understands the uncertainty as a result of misunderstanding and finds a solution in mechanisms of governance that, in addition to sanctions, allow for coordination among participants in a transaction. In this paper, we confront the arguments made by sociology and economics regarding the mechanism of governance of economic transactions. Following Polanyi, we distinguish three governance mechanisms of economic relations and note that, to be operational, each of them requires a different social structure and social regulation.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31785053
The book deals with the question Should governments be involved in economic affairs? The authors offer a sociological perspective to emphasize that states can never be divorced from economy. From defining property rights and regulating commodification of labor to setting corporate governance standards and international exchange rules, the state manages the functioning of markets and influences economic outcomes for individuals, firms and nations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29792605
Trust is very important for the working of economic markets because it promotes economic transactions. Trust in economic relations cannot be established in a society where people routinely behave in an opportunistic way, which in the long term undermines economic growth. In order to understand the dynamics of the production of trust in a society with initially low levels of social trust, we distinguish between two different types of trust: predictive trust which builds on a specific constellation of interests, and altruistic trust which implies universalistic morality. We illustrate the theoretical argument with the help of historical cases from the early modern period of the development of a market society. We conclude the article by discussing the possibilities for the transition from a low to high trust equilibrium society, with reference to the two types of trust.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31784541
Symbolic resources affect social, cultural, and economic development. The value of being "Made in America" or "Made in Italy," for example, depends not only on the material advantages each place offers but also on the symbolic resources embedded in those places of production. Drawing on case studies from all over the world this volume examines the various forms that cultural wealth of a nation affects cooperation within and between public and private sectors.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31127389