The New Institutionalism in Sociology

The New Institutionalism in Sociology

Author: Mary C. Brinton

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9780804742764

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Institutions play a pivotal role in structuring economic and social transactions, and understanding the foundations of social norms, networks, and beliefs within institutions is crucial to explaining much of what occurs in modern economies. This volume integrates two increasingly visible streams of research—economic sociology and new institutional economics—to better understand how ties among individuals and groups facilitate economic activity alongside and against the formal rules that regulate economic processes via government and law. Reviews "This volume is a welcome addition to the expanding literature on institutional analysis. . . . Besides sociologists, we are afforded the pleasure of contributions from anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, and scholars located in schools of law and education. . . . One of the pleasures of the volume is the wide range of topics, times, and locales addressed by the authors. . . . In all these diverse situations, the application of institutional queries and approaches enhances our understanding and appreciation of the endlessly rich and diverse nature of social life."—Contemporary Society "This admirable book makes a strong contribution to institutional theory, has many excellent chapters . . . and is a model for interdisciplinary exchange and cross-fertilization. . . . It is dense with interesting ideas and points for debate, and I heartily recommend it."—Sociological Research Online


Book Synopsis The New Institutionalism in Sociology by : Mary C. Brinton

Download or read book The New Institutionalism in Sociology written by Mary C. Brinton and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Institutions play a pivotal role in structuring economic and social transactions, and understanding the foundations of social norms, networks, and beliefs within institutions is crucial to explaining much of what occurs in modern economies. This volume integrates two increasingly visible streams of research—economic sociology and new institutional economics—to better understand how ties among individuals and groups facilitate economic activity alongside and against the formal rules that regulate economic processes via government and law. Reviews "This volume is a welcome addition to the expanding literature on institutional analysis. . . . Besides sociologists, we are afforded the pleasure of contributions from anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, and scholars located in schools of law and education. . . . One of the pleasures of the volume is the wide range of topics, times, and locales addressed by the authors. . . . In all these diverse situations, the application of institutional queries and approaches enhances our understanding and appreciation of the endlessly rich and diverse nature of social life."—Contemporary Society "This admirable book makes a strong contribution to institutional theory, has many excellent chapters . . . and is a model for interdisciplinary exchange and cross-fertilization. . . . It is dense with interesting ideas and points for debate, and I heartily recommend it."—Sociological Research Online


The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis

The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis

Author: Walter W. Powell

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2012-09-21

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 022618594X

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Long a fruitful area of scrutiny for students of organizations, the study of institutions is undergoing a renaissance in contemporary social science. This volume offers, for the first time, both often-cited foundation works and the latest writings of scholars associated with the "institutional" approach to organization analysis. In their introduction, the editors discuss points of convergence and disagreement with institutionally oriented research in economics and political science, and locate the "institutional" approach in relation to major developments in contemporary sociological theory. Several chapters consolidate the theoretical advances of the past decade, identify and clarify the paradigm's key ambiguities, and push the theoretical agenda in novel ways by developing sophisticated arguments about the linkage between institutional patterns and forms of social structure. The empirical studies that follow—involving such diverse topics as mental health clinics, art museums, large corporations, civil-service systems, and national polities—illustrate the explanatory power of institutional theory in the analysis of organizational change. Required reading for anyone interested in the sociology of organizations, the volume should appeal to scholars concerned with culture, political institutions, and social change.


Book Synopsis The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis by : Walter W. Powell

Download or read book The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis written by Walter W. Powell and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-09-21 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long a fruitful area of scrutiny for students of organizations, the study of institutions is undergoing a renaissance in contemporary social science. This volume offers, for the first time, both often-cited foundation works and the latest writings of scholars associated with the "institutional" approach to organization analysis. In their introduction, the editors discuss points of convergence and disagreement with institutionally oriented research in economics and political science, and locate the "institutional" approach in relation to major developments in contemporary sociological theory. Several chapters consolidate the theoretical advances of the past decade, identify and clarify the paradigm's key ambiguities, and push the theoretical agenda in novel ways by developing sophisticated arguments about the linkage between institutional patterns and forms of social structure. The empirical studies that follow—involving such diverse topics as mental health clinics, art museums, large corporations, civil-service systems, and national polities—illustrate the explanatory power of institutional theory in the analysis of organizational change. Required reading for anyone interested in the sociology of organizations, the volume should appeal to scholars concerned with culture, political institutions, and social change.


The New Institutionalism in Education

The New Institutionalism in Education

Author: Heinz-Dieter Meyer

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2012-02-01

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 0791481085

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The New Institutionalism in Education brings together leading academics to explore the ongoing changes in K–12 and higher education in both the United States and abroad. The contributors show that current educational trends—including the increased globalization of education, the growing emphasis on educational markets and school choice, the rise of accountability systems, and the persistent influence of business groups like textbook manufacturers and test makers on educational policy—can best be understood when observed through an institutional lens. Because schools and universities are organizations that are stabilized by deeply institutionalized rules, they are subject to the enduring problem of substantive educational reform. This book gives researchers and policy analysts conceptual tools and empirical assessments to gauge the possibilities for institutional reform and innovation.


Book Synopsis The New Institutionalism in Education by : Heinz-Dieter Meyer

Download or read book The New Institutionalism in Education written by Heinz-Dieter Meyer and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New Institutionalism in Education brings together leading academics to explore the ongoing changes in K–12 and higher education in both the United States and abroad. The contributors show that current educational trends—including the increased globalization of education, the growing emphasis on educational markets and school choice, the rise of accountability systems, and the persistent influence of business groups like textbook manufacturers and test makers on educational policy—can best be understood when observed through an institutional lens. Because schools and universities are organizations that are stabilized by deeply institutionalized rules, they are subject to the enduring problem of substantive educational reform. This book gives researchers and policy analysts conceptual tools and empirical assessments to gauge the possibilities for institutional reform and innovation.


Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology

Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology

Author: Seth Abrutyn

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-07

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1134463499

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There may not be a concept so central to sociology, yet so vaguely defined in its contemporary usages, than institution. In Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology, Abrutyn takes an in-depth look at what institutions are by returning to some of the insights of classical theorists like Max Weber and Herbert Spencer, the functionalisms of Talcott Parsons and S.N. Eisenstadt, and the more recent evolutionary institutionalisms of Gerhard Lenski and Jonathan Turner. Returning to the idea that various levels of social reality shape societies, Abrutyn argues that institutions are macro-level structural and cultural spheres of action, exchange, and communication. They have emergent properties and dynamics that are not reducible to other levels of social reality. Rather than fall back on old functionalist solutions, Abrutyn offers an original and synthetic theory of institutions like religion or economy; the process by which they become autonomous, or distinct cultural spaces that shape the color and texture of action, exchange, and communication embedded within them; and how they gain or lose autonomy by theorizing about institutional entrepreneurship. Finally, Abrutyn lays bare the inner workings of institutions, including their ecology, the way structure and culture shape lower-levels of social reality, and how they develop unique patterns of stratification and inequality founded on their ecology, structure, and culture. Ultimately, Abrutyn offers a refreshing take on macrosociology that brings functionalist, conflict, and cultural sociologies together, while painting a new picture of how the seemingly invisible macro-world influences the choices humans make and the goals we set.


Book Synopsis Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology by : Seth Abrutyn

Download or read book Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology written by Seth Abrutyn and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-07 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There may not be a concept so central to sociology, yet so vaguely defined in its contemporary usages, than institution. In Revisiting Institutionalism in Sociology, Abrutyn takes an in-depth look at what institutions are by returning to some of the insights of classical theorists like Max Weber and Herbert Spencer, the functionalisms of Talcott Parsons and S.N. Eisenstadt, and the more recent evolutionary institutionalisms of Gerhard Lenski and Jonathan Turner. Returning to the idea that various levels of social reality shape societies, Abrutyn argues that institutions are macro-level structural and cultural spheres of action, exchange, and communication. They have emergent properties and dynamics that are not reducible to other levels of social reality. Rather than fall back on old functionalist solutions, Abrutyn offers an original and synthetic theory of institutions like religion or economy; the process by which they become autonomous, or distinct cultural spaces that shape the color and texture of action, exchange, and communication embedded within them; and how they gain or lose autonomy by theorizing about institutional entrepreneurship. Finally, Abrutyn lays bare the inner workings of institutions, including their ecology, the way structure and culture shape lower-levels of social reality, and how they develop unique patterns of stratification and inequality founded on their ecology, structure, and culture. Ultimately, Abrutyn offers a refreshing take on macrosociology that brings functionalist, conflict, and cultural sociologies together, while painting a new picture of how the seemingly invisible macro-world influences the choices humans make and the goals we set.


Networks and Markets

Networks and Markets

Author: James E. Rauch

Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation

Published: 2001-06-21

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 1610444671

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Networks and Markets argues that economists' knowledge of markets and sociologists' rich understanding of networks can and should be combined. Together they can help us achieve a more coherent view of economic life, where transactions follow both the logic of economic incentives and the established channels of personal relationships. Market exchange is impersonal, episodic, and carried out at arm's length. All that matters is how much the seller is asking, and how much the buyer is offering. An economic network, by contrast, is based upon more personalized and enduring relationships between people tied together by more than just price. Networks and Markets focuses on how the two concepts relate to each other: Are social networks an essential precondition for successful markets, or do networks arise naturally out of markets, as faceless traders build reputations and gain confidence in each other? The book includes contributions by both sociologists and economists, applying the concepts of markets and networks to concrete empirical phenomena. Among the topics analyzed, the book explains how, in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, firms combine into tightly-knit business blocs, how wholesalers in a Marseille fish market earn the loyalty of customers, and how ethnic retailers in the U.S. share valuable market information with other shopkeepers from their ethnic group. A response to each chapter discusses the issue from the standpoint of the other discipline. Sociologists are challenged to go beyond small-scale economic exchange and to integrate their concept of networks into a broader understanding of the economic system as a whole, while economists are challenged to consider the economic implications of network ties, which can be strong or weak, unconditional or highly contingent. This book proves that both economics and sociology provide stronger insights when they study markets and networks as parallel forms of exchange. But it also clarifies the healthy division of labor that remains between the two disciplines. Sociologists are adept at showing how markets are framed by social institutions; economists specialize in explaining how markets perform, taking the social context as a given. Networks and Markets showcases what each discipline does best and reveals where each discipline would do better by borrowing from the other.


Book Synopsis Networks and Markets by : James E. Rauch

Download or read book Networks and Markets written by James E. Rauch and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2001-06-21 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Networks and Markets argues that economists' knowledge of markets and sociologists' rich understanding of networks can and should be combined. Together they can help us achieve a more coherent view of economic life, where transactions follow both the logic of economic incentives and the established channels of personal relationships. Market exchange is impersonal, episodic, and carried out at arm's length. All that matters is how much the seller is asking, and how much the buyer is offering. An economic network, by contrast, is based upon more personalized and enduring relationships between people tied together by more than just price. Networks and Markets focuses on how the two concepts relate to each other: Are social networks an essential precondition for successful markets, or do networks arise naturally out of markets, as faceless traders build reputations and gain confidence in each other? The book includes contributions by both sociologists and economists, applying the concepts of markets and networks to concrete empirical phenomena. Among the topics analyzed, the book explains how, in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, firms combine into tightly-knit business blocs, how wholesalers in a Marseille fish market earn the loyalty of customers, and how ethnic retailers in the U.S. share valuable market information with other shopkeepers from their ethnic group. A response to each chapter discusses the issue from the standpoint of the other discipline. Sociologists are challenged to go beyond small-scale economic exchange and to integrate their concept of networks into a broader understanding of the economic system as a whole, while economists are challenged to consider the economic implications of network ties, which can be strong or weak, unconditional or highly contingent. This book proves that both economics and sociology provide stronger insights when they study markets and networks as parallel forms of exchange. But it also clarifies the healthy division of labor that remains between the two disciplines. Sociologists are adept at showing how markets are framed by social institutions; economists specialize in explaining how markets perform, taking the social context as a given. Networks and Markets showcases what each discipline does best and reveals where each discipline would do better by borrowing from the other.


New Institutionalism

New Institutionalism

Author: André Lecours

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 0802048811

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Featuring discussions of comparative politics, public policy, and international relations, this collection from editor André Lecours is a comprehensive examination of the subject, making it a crucial addition to any political scientist?s library.


Book Synopsis New Institutionalism by : André Lecours

Download or read book New Institutionalism written by André Lecours and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring discussions of comparative politics, public policy, and international relations, this collection from editor André Lecours is a comprehensive examination of the subject, making it a crucial addition to any political scientist?s library.


Institutional Theory

Institutional Theory

Author: Ronald L. Jepperson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-04

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 1107078377

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Comprehensively collects the essential theoretical ideas of 'sociological neo-institutionalism', one of the leading approaches in social theory.


Book Synopsis Institutional Theory by : Ronald L. Jepperson

Download or read book Institutional Theory written by Ronald L. Jepperson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensively collects the essential theoretical ideas of 'sociological neo-institutionalism', one of the leading approaches in social theory.


Institutions and Social Order

Institutions and Social Order

Author: Karol Edward Sołtan

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780472108688

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Explores the relationship between institutions and the maintenance of social order


Book Synopsis Institutions and Social Order by : Karol Edward Sołtan

Download or read book Institutions and Social Order written by Karol Edward Sołtan and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the relationship between institutions and the maintenance of social order


The New Institutionalism in Sociology

The New Institutionalism in Sociology

Author: Mary C. Brinton

Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation

Published: 1998-02-01

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 1610440838

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Institutions play a pivotal role in the economic functioning of any society. Understanding the foundation of social norms, networks, and beliefs within institutions is crucial to explaining much of what occurs in modern economies. Recently, economic sociologists have explored how ties among individuals and groups facilitate economic activity, while "institutional economists" have focused on the formal "rules of the game" that regulate economic processes via government and law. The New Institutionalism in Sociology argues that a full understanding of economic life will depend on blending these new lines of research on institutions with traditional sociological insights into the social structures that lie at their core. The contributors to this volume explore many questions about the way institutions emerge and operate. How do grassroots mores and practices evolve to an institutional level? How do institutional norms then regulate economic activity, and what are the advantages of formal versus informal constraints? What are the sources of trust and cooperation in trading markets? What role do cultural networks play in the economic survival of immigrant communities? And how does conflict and bargaining affect the evolution of community norms? The New Institutionalism in Sociology also discusses how economic fluctuations arise from interactions between local agencies and the institutional environment. Among the topics addressed here are the influence of labor activism on the distribution of income, the association between highly competitive "winner-take-all" job markets and increased wage inequality in the United States, and the effect of property right conventions on technical innovation and productivity in pre-industrial England. A final section explores how deeply embedded cultural traditions have colored the transition from state socialism to market economies in Eastern Europe. The New Institutionalism in Sociology establishes a valuable template for a sociological conception of economic organization. Its interdisciplinary paradigm signals an important advance in understanding how institutions shape social and economic life.


Book Synopsis The New Institutionalism in Sociology by : Mary C. Brinton

Download or read book The New Institutionalism in Sociology written by Mary C. Brinton and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 1998-02-01 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Institutions play a pivotal role in the economic functioning of any society. Understanding the foundation of social norms, networks, and beliefs within institutions is crucial to explaining much of what occurs in modern economies. Recently, economic sociologists have explored how ties among individuals and groups facilitate economic activity, while "institutional economists" have focused on the formal "rules of the game" that regulate economic processes via government and law. The New Institutionalism in Sociology argues that a full understanding of economic life will depend on blending these new lines of research on institutions with traditional sociological insights into the social structures that lie at their core. The contributors to this volume explore many questions about the way institutions emerge and operate. How do grassroots mores and practices evolve to an institutional level? How do institutional norms then regulate economic activity, and what are the advantages of formal versus informal constraints? What are the sources of trust and cooperation in trading markets? What role do cultural networks play in the economic survival of immigrant communities? And how does conflict and bargaining affect the evolution of community norms? The New Institutionalism in Sociology also discusses how economic fluctuations arise from interactions between local agencies and the institutional environment. Among the topics addressed here are the influence of labor activism on the distribution of income, the association between highly competitive "winner-take-all" job markets and increased wage inequality in the United States, and the effect of property right conventions on technical innovation and productivity in pre-industrial England. A final section explores how deeply embedded cultural traditions have colored the transition from state socialism to market economies in Eastern Europe. The New Institutionalism in Sociology establishes a valuable template for a sociological conception of economic organization. Its interdisciplinary paradigm signals an important advance in understanding how institutions shape social and economic life.


Institutional Theory in Political Science, Fourth Edition

Institutional Theory in Political Science, Fourth Edition

Author: B. Guy Peters

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1786437937

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Institutional theory plays a significant role in contemporary political science. As in the previous editions, the new fourth edition provides an overview of the major institutional approaches in the discipline, as well as considering the possibility of a more integrated institutional theory. This edition also contains two new chapters. One assesses the role of informal institutions and their linkages with formal structures of governing. The second new chapter provides a detailed discussion of the processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization.


Book Synopsis Institutional Theory in Political Science, Fourth Edition by : B. Guy Peters

Download or read book Institutional Theory in Political Science, Fourth Edition written by B. Guy Peters and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Institutional theory plays a significant role in contemporary political science. As in the previous editions, the new fourth edition provides an overview of the major institutional approaches in the discipline, as well as considering the possibility of a more integrated institutional theory. This edition also contains two new chapters. One assesses the role of informal institutions and their linkages with formal structures of governing. The second new chapter provides a detailed discussion of the processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization.