Economics and sociology : an Introduction

A main purpose of this symposium is to raise awareness of the linkages between economics and sociology in the belief that both disciplines can gain from cross-fertilization. The gains for economics would come in the form of a richer understanding of individual behavior, which would lead to a better understanding of economic behavior as well as economic policies that might be effective in improving economic performance. The gains for sociology stem from the fact that people spend a good part of their waking lives producing and consuming goods. Economics has succeeded in developing knowledge about how to produce things and how they get distributed. This economic reproduction process involves and impacts human relationships; understanding this, in turn, is important for understanding social interaction and social relationships.