Economic and organizational sociology are specialized sociologies that focus on the sociological analysis of specific societal domains. Economic sociology studies economic phenomena within a societal context, while organizational sociology studies the forms, structures, and processes of organizations and their interactions with the societal environment.
At the Chair of Economic and Organizational Sociology, our research primarily focuses on the comparative analysis of institutions at both societal and organizational levels. Our research topics include diverse manifestations of capitalism (such as financial market capitalism and digital capitalism), economic paradigms, and organizational principles (such as "Deutschland AG," "Corporate Governance," and "Sustainability"). We also study socio-economic transformation phenomena that persist despite institutional inertia (such as overcoming "path dependencies").
Research interests
Our current research interests include:
- Gig work and the digitization of work environments (Jürgen Beyer and Katharina Legantke)
- The sociology of money (Jürgen Beyer and Alexander Spielau)
- Risk practices in the financial sector and politics (Jürgen Beyer)
- Path dependence in the digital economy (Jürgen Beyer)
- National growth models and comparative capitalism research (Alexander Spielau)
- The societal legitimacy of financial profits (Katharina Legantke)
- Precarious digital labor and strikes in the digital economy (Janis Ewen)
- Anti-work and non-work (Hannes Weinig)
- Sustainability in the context of SDG8: Decent work and economic growth (Jürgen Beyer, Janis Ewen, Katharina Legantke, Alexander Spielau, Hannes Weinig)
Teaching profile
In our teaching, we aim to comprehensively present economic and organizational sociology through comparative theoretical lenses. We offer education in economic and organizational sociology in the following programs:
- Bachelor of Sociology
- Master of Sociology
- Master of Labor, Economics, and Society
The courses are offered in a variety of formats, including:
- Presentation-oriented sessions
- Reading-focused classes on the latest research literature (Fresh Press seminars)
- Two-semester research seminars
- Practice-oriented seminar formats with simulation elements (WAO Sociology seminars)
We believe that this variety of formats allows students to learn about economic and organizational sociology in a way that is both engaging and informative.
