Research Colloquium on ‘Crowd Dynamics and Financial Markets

16 September, 3–5 pm, Porcelænshaven 18B, Room 3.135

Bjørn Schiermer, University of Copenhagen: “Connect Your Mind to the Market, Not Your Eye to the Screen”: A Neo-Durkheimian Critique of Symmetrical Sociology’

This presentation seeks to demonstrate the explanative potential of Durkheim’s sociology of religion in economic matters. It criticises other theories for neglecting the importance of collective forces and objects in sociological explanation of economic phenomena. My presentation will be divided into three parts: First, I embark on a selective critique of the Marxist paradigm. I will try to demonstrate how the privative Marxist picture of the social conditions under capitalism impedes and distorts empirical analysis. Second, I seek to show how some of the deficits of the Marxist template may be mended by extrapolating on themes found in Durkheim’s late work. Third, I seek to demonstrate how the Marxist privative picture – with some of the same empirical flaws – remerges in some of the new ANT-inspired forms of economic sociology. Here, again, I will draw on Durkheim to counter and mend these insufficiencies. The reasons behind the rather enigmatic title of my proposal will thus become apparent towards the end of my presentation.

Bjørn Schiermer obtained a PhD in sociology from the Department of Sociology at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2010, where he currently holds a position as Assistant Professor. Besides his interests in the sociology of culture, he has just embarked on a historical project centred on the influence of Immanuel Kant on the classical sociologists. Recent publications include: Fænomenologi: teorier og metoder (Copenhagen: Reitzels Forlag, 2013); ‘Ornament og fortrydelse’, Kritik 194(45), 2012; ‘Late Modern Hipsters: On new tendencies in popular culture’, Acta Sociologica (Forthcoming).

The research colloquium is organized under the auspices of the Sapere Aude research project on ‘Crowd Dynamics in Financial Markets’. For further information, please contact Professor Christian Borch (cbo.lpf@cbs.dk) or visit http://info.cbs.dk/crowds.