This book is a discourse on modelling Man in a social context. Its focus is on economic main-stream theory in its capacity to handle basic problems such as uncertainty, social dynamics and ethics. The point of departure is a systematic critique of the specific methodology of economics and its axiomatic structure. The ultimate aim is to develop an economic theory for a socially sustainable society. Economic Theory and Social Change analyses the foundation of economic market theory in relation to its social implications. On rejecting the axiomatic structure of the market theory Hasse Ekstedt and Angelo Fusari analyse the concept of growth and uncertainty with respect to a more realistic modelling of man, The book also addresses central political problems and their potential solutions, including permanent unemployment, distribution of income, the interaction of real and financial growth, money and the credit system. In seeking objective values to help to obtain a socially sustainable society, the book traces a tentative revision of economic and social thought based on a deepening of some crucial features of modern economies and societies. These features include innovation, the connected flows of uncertainty, entrepreneurship, and their role in fuelling and characterizing economic growth and development. This book will be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers of Economics, particularly to those focussing on Economic Theory and Political Economy.

This book presents selected papers of the Euro-Asian Symposium on Economic Theory, held by the Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg, Russia) on June 29-30, 2022. The conference aims to promote research and develop effective solutions to urgent challenges in economic theory in the context of stability and uncertainty. The main theme of the 2022 Conference is the "Viability of Economic Theories". The chaos of the modern world forces us to rethink many theoretical positions. Researchers are trying to overcome the contradictions between theory and empiricism through new models, mechanisms and approaches. The challenges of recent social change have led to an adjustment in the perception, interpretation, and use of many concepts, necessitating an updating of these terms. The problems and contradictions identified in the studies will help to reconcile theoretical approaches with practice. The volume covers topics such as sustainable development issues, economic shocks in the history of economic thought, modern economic concepts of identity, theory of organizations under uncertainty, review of economic theories with the "Corona crisis," models of consumer behavior, business cycles, theory of investment, issues of economic growth and market equilibrium, impact of social factors on the sustainability of the economy, etc. Moveover, the volume presents new solutions for the synthesis of mainstream and political economy ideas. These topics will be of great interest to academics, researchers and practitioners.

Activity theory is an interdisciplinary approach to human sciences that originates in the cultural-historical psychology school, initiated by Vygotsky, Leont'ev, and Luria. It takes the object-oriented, artifact-mediated collective activity system as its unit of analysis, thus bridging the gulf between the individual subject and the societal structure. This 1999 volume includes 26 chapters on activity theory by authors from ten countries. In Part I of the book, central theoretical issues are discussed from different points of view. Some topics addressed in this part are epistemology, methodology, and the relationship between biological and cultural factors. Part II is devoted to the acquisition and development of language. This part includes a chapter that analyzes writing activity in Japanese classrooms, and a case study of literacy skills of a man with cerebral palsy. Part III contains chapters on play, learning, and education, and Part IV addresses the meaning of technology and the development of work activities. The final part covers issues of therapy and addiction.

This book contains the most sustained and serious attack on mainstream, neoclassical economics in more than forty years. Nelson and Winter focus their critique on the basic question of how firms and industries change overtime. They marshal significant objections to the fundamental neoclassical assumptions of profit maximization and market equilibrium, which they find ineffective in the analysis of technological innovation and the dynamics of competition among firms. To replace these assumptions, they borrow from biology the concept of natural selection to construct a precise and detailed evolutionary theory of business behavior. They grant that films are motivated by profit and engage in search for ways of improving profits, but they do not consider them to be profit maximizing. Likewise, they emphasize the tendency for the more profitable firms to drive the less profitable ones out of business, but they do not focus their analysis on hypothetical states of industry equilibrium. The results of their new paradigm and analytical framework are impressive. Not only have they been able to develop more coherent and powerful models of competitive firm dynamics under conditions of growth and technological change, but their approach is compatible with findings in psychology and other social sciences. Finally, their work has important implications for welfare economics and for government policy toward industry.

Communication Technology and Social Change is a distinctive collection that provides current theoretical, empirical, and legal analyses for a broader understanding of the dynamic influences of communication technology on social change. With a distinguished panel of contributors, the volume presents a systematic discussion of the role communication technology plays in shaping social, political, and economic influences in society within specific domains and settings. Its integrated focus expands and complements the scope of existing literature on this subject. Each chapter is organized around a specific structure, covering: *Background—offering an introduction of relevant communication technology that outlines its technical capabilities, diffusion, and uses; *Theory—featuring a discussion of relevant theories used to study the social impacts of the communication technology in question; *Empirical Findings—providing an analysis of recent academic and relevant practical work that explains the impact of the communication technology on social change; and *Social Change Implications—proposing a summary of the real world implications for social change that stems from synthesizing the relevant theories and empirical findings presented throughout the book. Communication Technology and Social Change will serve scholars, researchers, upper-division undergraduate students, and graduate students examining the relationship between communication and technology and its implications for society.

One strand of research argues that polarized societies find it difficult to reach political consensus on appropriate responses to crises. Another strand focuses on redistribution, asking whether income inequality stifles growth by increasing political incentives to redistribute. Which is right?

'One of the most powerful books in the social sciences ever written. ... A must-read' Thomas Piketty 'The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism' Prospect Karl Polanyi's landmark 1944 work is one of the earliest and most powerful critiques of unregulated markets. Tracing the history of capitalism from the great transformation of the industrial revolution onwards, he shows that there has been nothing 'natural' about the market state. Instead of reducing human relations and our environment to mere commodities, the economy must always be embedded in civil society. Describing the 'avalanche of social dislocation' of his time, Polanyi's hugely influential work is a passionate call to protect our common humanity. 'Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative' Guardian 'Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market' Joseph Stiglitz With a new introduction by Gareth Dale