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How I Became a Relational Economic Sociologist and What Does That Mean?

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  • Viviana A. Zelizer

Abstract

My paper proposes the concept of relational work to explain economic activity. In all economic action, I argue, people engage in the process of differentiating meaningful social relations. For each distinct category of social relations, people erect a boundary, mark the boundary by means of names and practices, establish a set of distinctive understandings that operate within that boundary, designate certain sorts of economic transactions as appropriate for the relation, bar other transactions as inappropriate, and adopt certain media for reckoning and facilitating economic transactions within the relation. I call that process relational work. After identifying specific elements of a relational work approach, the paper focuses on the case of monetary differentiation. It compares a relational work theory of earmarking money with behavioral economics’ individually based mental accounting approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Viviana A. Zelizer, 2012. "How I Became a Relational Economic Sociologist and What Does That Mean?," Politics & Society, , vol. 40(2), pages 145-174, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:polsoc:v:40:y:2012:i:2:p:145-174
    DOI: 10.1177/0032329212441591
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    Cited by:

    1. Kushins, Eric R. & Behounek, Elaina, 2020. "Using sociological theory to problematize family business research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(1).
    2. Zhang, Bolun & Zhou, Yimang, 2025. "Wages and the division between mental and manual labor in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Couchoux, Oriane & Patry-Beaudoin, Gabrielle, 2025. "Accounting for motherhood: The impact of competing societal ideals on the financial experiences of mothers," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Friedson-Ridenour, Sophia & Pierotti, Rachael S., 2019. "Competing priorities: Women’s microenterprises and household relationships," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 53-62.
    5. Cameron, Lindsey D. & Chan, Curtis K. & Anteby, Michel, 2022. "Heroes from above but not (always) from within? Gig workers’ reactions to the sudden public moralization of their work," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    6. Vargas, Robert, 2016. "How health navigators legitimize the Affordable Care Act to the uninsured poor," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 263-270.
    7. Rao, Aliya, 2022. "Relational work in the family: the gendered microfoundation of parents' economic decisions," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116883, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Dominique Roux & Russ Belk, 2020. "Theorizing Relational Work in the Collaborative Economy: An Application to Peer-To-Peer Renting," Post-Print hal-02949810, HAL.
    9. Ortiz-Przychodzka, Stefan & Benavides-Frías, Camila & Raymond, Christopher M. & Díaz-Reviriego, Isabel & Hanspach, Jan, 2023. "Rethinking Economic Practices and Values As Assemblages of More-Than-Human Relations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    10. Jun Fang, 2024. "The Culture of Censorship: State Intervention and Complicit Creativity in Global Film Production," American Sociological Review, , vol. 89(3), pages 488-517, June.
    11. Dudka, Aurore, 2025. "A relational approach to prosuming through energy communities: The case of CIREN in France," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    12. Dudka, Aurore, 2025. "Rethinking electricity demand-side response: Relational approaches to the challenge of residential flexibility in Italy," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    13. Khurana, Indu & Dutta, Dev K, 2021. "From latent to emergent entrepreneurship in innovation ecosystems: The role of entrepreneurial learning," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    14. Zhang, Yaomin & Pinkse, Jonatan & McMeekin, Andrew, 2020. "The governance practices of sharing platforms: Unpacking the interplay between social bonds and economic transactions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    15. Rohit Varman & Hari Sreekumar & Russell W Belk, 2022. "Money, Sacrificial Work, and Poor Consumers [The Low Literate Consumer]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 49(4), pages 657-677.
    16. Cairns, Iain & Hannon, M. & Owen, A. & Bookbinder, R. & Brisbois, M.-C. & Brown, D. & Davis, M. & Middlemiss, L. & Mininni, G.M. & Combe, M., 2024. "Under one roof: The social relations and relational work of energy retrofit for the occupants of multi-owned properties," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    17. Townsend, A. & Abraham, C. & Barnes, A. & Collins, M. & Halliday, E. & Lewis, S. & Orton, L. & Ponsford, R. & Salway, S. & Whitehead, M. & Popay, J., 2020. "“I realised it weren't about spending the money. It's about doing something together:” the role of money in a community empowerment initiative and the implications for health and wellbeing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).

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