The superiority of economics and the economics of externalism – a sketch

Abstract

ArgumentThe article takes as its starting point the relationship of academic economists and the wider society. First, various bodies of literature that deal empirically with this matter are discussed: epistemologically, they range from a bold structuralism via a form of symbolic interactionism to a form of radical constructivism. A Bourdieusian approach is recommended to complement these perspectives with a comprehensive perspective that is sensible to the cultural differences between social groups. Starting from the established notions of field, capital and habitus, the article then attempts to go the initial steps towards formulating a theory of the specificity of academic economics, taking Germany as its example. For that it uses and compares in-depth interviews of recognized and non-recognized German economics students. It shows the thorough interweaving of specific normative and positive dispositions into a conviction of objectivity and disinterestedness. This exploratory empirical induction furthers follow-up questions, the empirical answering of which may help to gain a more complete understanding of the actions and thoughts of economists in their specific contexts.

Bourdieu, Lacan and Field Theory: Neoliberal Doxa in the Economic Field

“…While the appeal of certainty is not directly addressed by these studies, the participants’ adherence to the broader economic doxa comes across and it is likely that an acceptance of scientism forms part of this constellation of values, even if only at the level of an unconscious disposition. More directly relevant, although based on a more limited sample group, are Winzler’s (2019) interviews with economics students. His findings suggest that there may well be a pre-existing disposition towards scientistic certainty among those who have been recruited to the economic field.…”

Fringe nobles and boundary maintenance: An exploration

“…Those who make up the largest fraction of my group of ‘recognized’ students (see also Winzler, 2019b) often come from teacher or educational backgrounds (esp. teachers of natural sciences or mathematics or related apprenticeships).…”