The research field of new economic sociology mainly includes five aspects:
1, network research.
In the new economic sociology, White was the first to use the network method. At the end of 1970s, he made a series of research on the market by using the network method. However, the main representative of network research is Grana Witt. His Economic Behavior and Social Structure: Embeddedness is an important paper of new economic sociology. This paper expounds the application of network in economic analysis, and makes a profound and sharp criticism on new institutional economics. Graner Witt believes that social network is irregular, and it permeates all aspects of economic life to varying degrees. Using the network method, we can understand the role of trust in the economy and the operation of the economic system in reality. However, the new institutional economics only uses the utility theory to analyze the formation of the system, ignoring that the social structure is the key to understand the existing system. Granner Witt also studied the role of information network in people's job hunting. Grana Witt pointed out in a recent study that although most economic interactions occur in the network, the driving forces of the economic system are different. The economic system is produced through the network, but once it is formed, it is "locked" in a single institutional model.
2. Market research.
In recent years, there have been many sociological works on market research, mainly involving financial markets, labor markets and "special types of markets". The research on financial market by new economic sociology shows that even in the "most standard" market like financial market, social networks are infiltrating and playing a role. The function of social network is not only reflected in its influence on securities trading, but also in its conflict and crisis. The "pure market model" of neoclassical economics ignores the role of social network, so it lacks insight into the problems in the market in real economic life. In the analysis of the labor market, the researchers re-evaluate the stratification theory, look for the mechanism under the surface flow, and deeply analyze the income problem. On the one hand, the study of "special market" in new economic sociology involves the relationship between various forms of "black market" transactions and social structure and national characteristics, on the other hand, it analyzes the interaction between various "informal economies" in post-industrial society and their interaction with official economy.
3. Enterprise research.
Since 1950s, the continuous development of organization theory and the establishment of new institutional economics, especially Williamson's market and hierarchy system, have promoted the study of enterprises in new economic sociology. These studies mainly focus on the differences between enterprises and markets, giant enterprises and multi-head companies. Eccles and Stinkam questioned the dichotomy between market and enterprise. They think that what exists in reality is mostly an intermediate form. Chandler's giant enterprise theory has a great influence. Perot and Frege Stein think that Chandler overemphasizes the role of technology and market, and they think that the role of state and power is much greater. There are two views on the study of multi-head companies. Chandler believes that the development of multi-head companies follows the traditional economic rationality; According to Perot, Fridge Stein and DiMaggio, the emergence of multi-head companies is only because some companies imitate other companies in order to succeed.
4. Gender studies.
At present, many new economic sociology studies emphasize gender factors. Researchers' research on gender mainly focuses on four aspects. As far as employment is concerned, the researcher analyzes and explains the gender difference in labor remuneration, gender discrimination in job hunting and gender segregation in work; In the aspect of housework, the researcher pays attention to the reasons why the husband still does not take the initiative to undertake housework after his wife has a full-time job; In terms of income and power, the researchers analyzed the relationship between women's income and their power in the family. Generally speaking, women with income in the market have more power in the family than women without income; The status of women in enterprises is also a theme of gender research.
5. Cultural studies.
In the study of new economic sociology, many scholars began to pay attention to the role of culture in economic life. They believe that cultural factors exist in all economic behaviors. Zaleze, DiMaggio and holden pointed out that if we don't consider cultural factors when studying the interaction between market, consumption and work, then such research will be incomplete. Bourdieu, Porthan and Zaleze all tried to add cultural dimension to the analysis of economic system and behavior. This is the strongest research on "the interaction between human value and market in history" by Zaleze. She studied three topics: life insurance, children's social value and special forms of money. She combines quantitative data with historical facts to study human values and markets. However, in the new economic sociology, the prospect of explaining economic phenomena from a cultural perspective is still unclear. But there is no doubt that the new economic sociology needs to introduce cultural factors and learn from the research results of economic anthropology.
Although the new economic sociology has caused quite a stir in American and European academic circles, it is still very strange to domestic sociologists and even social science circles. At present, China is in a critical period of social change, and the basic viewpoints of new economic sociology have certain enlightening significance for analyzing the economic phenomena in this period; In addition, the new economic sociology's redefinition of the field of sociological research, as well as its attitude and methods in theoretical construction, are of reference significance to China's sociological research.