The Market addresses one of the most controversial answers to the
question, 'how is social order possible?' Ever since Adam Smith
conceived the idea of an 'invisible hand', advocates of the market have
argued that social cohesion, material prosperity and political vitality
are best achieved not by central control and planning but by
laissez-faire - the policy of non-intervention.
In this book, Alan Aldridge guides readers through the complex interplay
between analysis, description and ideology that characterizes social
theorizing on the market. A distinctive feature of The Market is its
emphasis on the role of culture in shaping the social reality of markets
as perceived and experienced by people participating in them.
Ideologies examined include:
* Market fundamentalism - the conviction that free markets are
universally beneficial
* Market populism - the assertion that the free market reflects the
democratic will of the people
* Economic 'man' - the notion that the main motive of our actions is to
maximize our personal advantage
* Globalism - the claim by neo-liberals that the global expansion of
markets is irresistible, making political action irrelevant
The Market will be essential reading for students and researchers
interested in the sociology of economic life, economic sociology and
political economy.