The objective of this volume is to apply the economic sociology perspective to issues of work broadly defined. Economic sociology is a vibrant area of research investigating how social structures, power allocations and cultural understandings shape the production, consumption, distribution and exchange of goods and services. The volume consists of three parts. Contributors of this title include prominent senior scholars and promising junior researchers from some of the most eminent academic institutions like Princeton University, Duke University, Brown University, the University of California-Berkeley, and Ecole Normale Superieur, Paris, France.

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 that range from the vineyards of South Africa and the textiles of Thailand to the Mundo Maya in Latin America and tourist destinations in Tuscany, this volume examines the various forms that cultural wealth takes, the processes involved in its construction, and the ways it is deployed.
Leading scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds examine how symbolic resources and cultural understandings help firms and regions develop. Through a thoughtful analysis of current- day cases, as well as historical developments, "The Cultural Wealth of Nations" offers an exciting new alternative to standard economic explanations about the wealth and poverty of nations.

Socialism Vanquished, Socialism Challenged examines the twenty-year aftermath of the 1989 assaults on established, state-sponsored socialism in the former Soviet bloc and in China. Editors Nina Bandelj and Dorothy J. Solinger bring together prominent experts on Eastern Europe and China to examine the respective trajectories of political, economic, and social transformations that unfolded in these two areas, while also comparing the changes that ensued within the two regions. The volume features paired comparisons, with one chapter on the countries from the former Soviet bloc and one on China for each of the following themes: the reinstitutionalization of politics, the recasting of state-society relations, the reform of economic systems, changes in economic behavior, and transformations of social institutions. Despite differences in the specific substantive focus and disciplinary grounding among individual chapters, all chapters share a concern with the fate of the state in postsocialism. They elaborate on topics such as the transformations of the old socialist state and its nature, activities and roles; civil society before and after 1989; the ways in which the state has, or has not, acted to encourage new forms of economic behavior; and the state's responsibility for societal trends, whether in family formation, in protest or in inequality. Taking a unique approach to understand twentieth-century socialism on a global scale, Socialism Vanquished, Socialism Challenged uncovers insights about political models and economic patterns that have emerged in the grand project of the transition from socialism.

The world of money is being transformed as households and organizations face changing economies, and new currencies and payment systems like Bitcoin and Apple Pay gain ground. What is money, and how do we make sense of it? Money Talks is the first book to offer a wide range of alternative and unexpected explanations of how social relations, emotions, moral concerns, and institutions shape how we create, mark, and use money. This collection brings together a stellar group of international experts from multiple disciplines--sociology, economics, history, law, anthropology, political science, and philosophy--to propose fresh explanations for money's origins, uses, effects, and future. Money Talks explores five key questions: How do social relationships, emotions, and morals shape how people account for and use their money? How do corporations infuse social meaning into their financing and investment practices? What are the historical, political, and social foundations of currencies? When does money become contested, and are there things money shouldn't buy? What is the impact of the new twenty-first-century currencies on our social relations? At a time of growing concern over financial inequality, Money Talks overturns conventional views about money by revealing its profound social potential.

Socialism Vanquished, Socialism Challenged examines the twenty-year aftermath of the 1989 assaults on established, state-sponsored socialism in the former Soviet bloc and in China. Editors Nina Bandelj and Dorothy J. Solinger bring together prominent experts on Eastern Europe and China to examine the respective trajectories of political, economic, and social transformations that unfolded in these two areas, while also comparing the changes that ensued within the two regions. The volume features paired comparisons, with one chapter on the countries from the former Soviet bloc and one on China for each of the following themes: the reinstitutionalization of politics, the recasting of state-society relations, the reform of economic systems, changes in economic behavior, and transformations of social institutions. Despite differences in the specific substantive focus and disciplinary grounding among individual chapters, all chapters share a concern with the fate of the state in postsocialism. They elaborate on topics such as the transformations of the old socialist state and its nature, activities and roles; civil society before and after 1989; the ways in which the state has, or has not, acted to encourage new forms of economic behavior; and the state's responsibility for societal trends, whether in family formation, in protest or in inequality. Taking a unique approach to understand twentieth-century socialism on a global scale, Socialism Vanquished, Socialism Challenged uncovers insights about political models and economic patterns that have emerged in the grand project of the transition from socialism.

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 that range from the vineyards of South Africa and the textiles of Thailand to the Mundo Maya in Latin America and tourist destinations in Tuscany, this volume examines the various forms that cultural wealth takes, the processes involved in its construction, and the ways it is deployed.
Leading scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds examine how symbolic resources and cultural understandings help firms and regions develop. Through a thoughtful analysis of current- day cases, as well as historical developments, "The Cultural Wealth of Nations" offers an exciting new alternative to standard economic explanations about the wealth and poverty of nations.

The world of money is being transformed as households and organizations face changing economies, and new currencies and payment systems like Bitcoin and Apple Pay gain ground. What is money, and how do we make sense of it? Money Talks is the first book to offer a wide range of alternative and unexpected explanations of how social relations, emotions, moral concerns, and institutions shape how we create, mark, and use money. This collection brings together a stellar group of international experts from multiple disciplines-sociology, economics, history, law, anthropology, political science, and philosophy-to propose fresh explanations for money's origins, uses, effects, and future. Money Talks explores five key questions: How do social relationships, emotions, and morals shape how people account for and use their money? How do corporations infuse social meaning into their financing and investment practices? What are the historical, political, and social foundations of currencies? When does money become contested, and are there things money shouldn't buy? What is the impact of the new twenty-first-century currencies on our social relations? At a time of growing concern over financial inequality, Money Talks overturns conventional views about money by revealing its profound social potential.

"Capital is the fuel of the modern economy. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the former socialist countries had to import this fuel from capital-rich Western countries. Which countries could attract the most foreign direct investment and why? In her outstanding study, Nina Bandelj shows that the diffusion of foreign direct investment is a socially embedded process in which decisions in an uncertain environment are shaped by social, cultural, and political forces. Arguing clearly and gracefully, she skillfully applies the toolkit of economic sociology to one of the most pressing questions of the global economy."--Jens Beckert, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies

"Pundits tell us that globalization has now made the world flat, and rendered the state obsolete. Nina Bandelj shows that both of these truisms are false, explaining how social networks, institutions, politics, and culture deeply affect the flow of foreign direct investment into eleven postsocialist countries. Her thoughtful analysis will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand globalization, economic development, and Central and Eastern Europe since 1989."--Bruce G. Carruthers, Northwestern University

"In this compelling account of the origins of foreign direct investment in postsocialist Eastern Europe, Nina Bandelj explores a critically important--but typically overlooked--component of economic transition: the centrality of social relations to what may appear to be a purely economic exchange. Anyone interested in transition, Eastern Europe, or economic sociology more generally will want to add this to their must-read list."--Lisa A. Keister, Duke University

"This book is a major contribution toeconomic sociology and the study of the postcommunist transformation. It makes creative and fundamental theoretical points and has empirical punch. It will stand out in the literature on foreign direct investment with its originality."--Akos Rona-Tas, University of California, San Diego