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Problems with the concept of capitalism in the social sciences

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  • Fred Block

    (University of California Davis, USA)

Abstract

The paper argues that the term “capitalism†carries with it baggage that interferes with our ability to understand contemporary market economies. The evolution of work in the “varieties of capitalism†literature is used to make the argument that more essentialist modes of analysis win out over those that emphasize variation and contingency. It is argued that analysts should instead use the terminology of variegated societies operating within a capitalist world economy in order to develop a better toolkit for analyzing political, social, and economic change.

Suggested Citation

  • Fred Block, 2019. "Problems with the concept of capitalism in the social sciences," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(5), pages 1166-1177, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:51:y:2019:i:5:p:1166-1177
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X19838866
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    2. Hodgson, Geoffrey M., 2015. "Conceptualizing Capitalism," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226168005, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Dunford & Boyang Gao & Weidong Liu, 2021. "Geography and the theory of uneven and combined development: Theorizing uniqueness and the return of China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 890-916, August.
    2. Ben Spies-Butcher, 2020. "Book review: Elizabeth Humphrys, How Labour Built Neoliberalism: Australia’s Accord, the Labour Movement and the Neoliberal Project," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(1), pages 116-119, March.

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