Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?

This article addresses a twofold issue: why the word capitalism has become more and more frequently used during the last decade? How could socio-economic researches contribute to understanding of the contemporary transformations of the various brands of capitalism? First, it is argued that the conce...

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Main Author: Robert Boyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association Recherche & Régulation 2007-12-01
Series:Revue de la Régulation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/2142
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author Robert Boyer
author_facet Robert Boyer
author_sort Robert Boyer
collection DOAJ
description This article addresses a twofold issue: why the word capitalism has become more and more frequently used during the last decade? How could socio-economic researches contribute to understanding of the contemporary transformations of the various brands of capitalism? First, it is argued that the concept of capitalism is not equivalent to the concept of market economy since it also refers to the study of social relations and dynamic patterns of evolution. Second, the 90s were probably a turning point in the analysis of contemporary societies since the built-in propensity of capitalism to innovate and ability to propel structural change and promote globalization, are easy to recognize. Third, given the multifaceted aspects of capitalism, all social sciences (legal studies, economic history, political sciences, sociology, economic theory, technical change analysis…) do shed some light upon this complex and evolving regime. The bulk of the paper then surveys both the contribution and weaknesses of economic sociology and new political economy and proposes a research agenda in which their respective programs provide a complementary analysis of contemporary structural transformations of capitalism. Regulation theory is part of such a research agenda and could itself benefit from such a joint venture.
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issn 1957-7796
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spelling doaj-art-aa98d36e36ac4552879fdb076775bb282025-01-30T14:26:32ZengAssociation Recherche & RégulationRevue de la Régulation1957-77962007-12-01110.4000/regulation.2142Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?Robert BoyerThis article addresses a twofold issue: why the word capitalism has become more and more frequently used during the last decade? How could socio-economic researches contribute to understanding of the contemporary transformations of the various brands of capitalism? First, it is argued that the concept of capitalism is not equivalent to the concept of market economy since it also refers to the study of social relations and dynamic patterns of evolution. Second, the 90s were probably a turning point in the analysis of contemporary societies since the built-in propensity of capitalism to innovate and ability to propel structural change and promote globalization, are easy to recognize. Third, given the multifaceted aspects of capitalism, all social sciences (legal studies, economic history, political sciences, sociology, economic theory, technical change analysis…) do shed some light upon this complex and evolving regime. The bulk of the paper then surveys both the contribution and weaknesses of economic sociology and new political economy and proposes a research agenda in which their respective programs provide a complementary analysis of contemporary structural transformations of capitalism. Regulation theory is part of such a research agenda and could itself benefit from such a joint venture.https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/2142capitalismmarket economyeconomic sociologynew political economyinstitutional economicsRegulation theory
spellingShingle Robert Boyer
Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
Revue de la Régulation
capitalism
market economy
economic sociology
new political economy
institutional economics
Regulation theory
title Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
title_full Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
title_fullStr Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
title_full_unstemmed Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
title_short Capitalism Strikes Back: Why and What Consequences for Social Sciences?
title_sort capitalism strikes back why and what consequences for social sciences
topic capitalism
market economy
economic sociology
new political economy
institutional economics
Regulation theory
url https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/2142
work_keys_str_mv AT robertboyer capitalismstrikesbackwhyandwhatconsequencesforsocialsciences