Instituições e a relação entre economia e sociologia

Abstract

This article discusses the relation between economics and sociology, highlighting institutions among other social objects of study. The article points out several difficulties in distinguishing economics from sociology when the latter studies economic issues. Separating economics and economic sociology by defining each of them in terms of an approach does not work because there are different approaches within each, as well as similarities across these disciplines. It is better to define economics and sociology in terms of a broad subject matter, but this does not imply separating them, because the economic is social and, in particular, institutional. Institutions are inside the economy and inside economic agents themselves, influencing their motivations and cognition. On the other hand, one can distinguish some practices of economists and economic sociologists. Anyway, the most important distinction is one between approaches and not one between disciplines.