Understanding the valuation of goods in markets has become one of the key topics in economic sociology in recent years. Especially in markets for goods that are valued for their aesthetic qualities, the ascription of value appears to be a complex social process because product quality is highly...

Die ohne Zutun der europäischen Politik vom Europäischen Gerichtshof und der Kommission betriebene 'Integration durch Recht' hat eine extensive Dynamik der Liberalisierung entfaltet. Wie lässt sich dieser Umstand erklären? Mit dieser Frage hat sich die 2008 gegründete MPIfG-Forschungsgruppe...

Following the debate on the relationship between capitalism and religion, this paper discusses the role of religion in present-day capitalism. It argues that neither the secularization thesis nor the influential concepts of a 'return' or a 'transformation' of religions can offer a convincing...

For centuries, churches were the main institutional providers of welfare in Europe before the state took over this role in the late 19th century. The influence of modernization theory meant that modern welfare state theorists increasingly regarded religion and its impact on welfare as a relic...

This essay re-examines the dual - republican and liberal - foundations of democratic legitimacy in the Western traditions of normative political theory. Considered in isolation, the European Union conforms to liberal standards but cannot satisfy republican criteria. Given these conflicting...

Auf dem Hintergrund ideengeschichtlicher Überlegungen zum Verhältnis von Markt und Staat wird nach den Ursachen der beständigen Kooperationsprobleme gefragt, mit denen es die Europäische Union zu tun hat, wenn für alle Mitgliedstaaten verbindliche Entscheidungen getroffen werden sollen. Die...

Social movements use a variety of tactical approaches to change markets. Through a case study of ethical fashion in Switzerland, this paper looks at how the interplay between different tactical approaches pursued by movement actors shapes the growth of the ethical clothing market. Most studies...

In the wake of the financial crisis, most developed countries have entered a period of prolonged budgetary austerity. While the success of austerity programs is still unclear, it is also an open question what success would mean for activist government in the long run. This paper rejects the...

How do judgment devices influence price formation? We investigate this question through a study of the German wine market. The German wine market is characterized by the simultaneous existence of two classification systems: the official classification system referring to the quality in the...

Capitalism is an economic and social order oriented toward the future. In this paper, I describe the unfolding of the temporal order of capitalism and relate it to the restless dynamism of capitalism we have observed since the Industrial Revolution. Since the future is open, actors are...