The Invention of “Choice”

Historical and Theoretical Perspectives on Markets, Democracy and Power

The concept of “choice” is at the heart of much theorizing in marketing, micro-economics and consumer psychology today. The aim of the workshop is to problematize the notion of “choice” from various historical and theoretical perspectives. Rather than asking whether or not more (or less) choice per se is either good or bad for citizens and consumers – a perspective that dominates much of the discussion in marketing, consumer psychology, behavioural economics etc. – we want to use this workshop to exchange ideas about the historical, cultural and political circumstances that led to the reification of choice as a social policy aim in its own right. The workshop will bring together scholars from as wide a background as business and economic history, psychology, marketing, theology, and sociology to analyse when, why and how the mundane idea of “choice” became a political-economic concept with such an enormous power to mobilize people.  

 PROGRAM 

Thursday, 12 January 2012: Historical Perspectives

9.30 – 10am: 

 

Welcome with Coffee & Tea

 

10 – 10.30am: 

 

Stefan Schwarzkopf (CBS): “Introducing the Workshop: Why do we need a ‘History of Choice’?”

 

10.30 – 12.30pm: 

 

Panel 1: From Adam Smith to the Interwar Years

 

Chair: Alfred Reckendrees (CBS)

 

• Amos Witztum (London Metropolitan University) - “Choice, Liberalism and Markets: between Smith and Keynes”

• Nicola Giocoli (University of Pisa) - “Consistent Choices: Homo Economicus becomes a Bayesian Statistician”

 

12.30 – 2pm: 

 

Lunch and Coffee

 

2 – 4pm: 

 

Panel 2: From the Interwar Years to Reagenomics

 

Chair: Per Hansen (CBS)

 

• Will Davies (Said Business School, University of Oxford) - “Choice, Hayek and the Chicago Tradition”

• Stefan Schwarzkopf (CBS) - “The Market Research Industry and the Invention of Consumer Choice, 1920-1980”

 

4 – 4.30pm:

 

Coffee Break

 

4.30 – 5.30pm: 

 

Roundtable Discussion with Claes-Fredrik Helgesson (Linköping University) - “Researching the Socio-material Set-up behind Choice Architectures Past and Present”  

 

5.30 – 6.30pm:

 

Wine Reception (sponsored by the Business-in-Society Platform on Public and Private Management)

 

6.30pm:

 

Evening Dinner at Restaurant “Frederikshave”

 

Thursday, 13 January 2012: Theoretical Perspectives  

9.30 - 10am:

 

Welcome with Coffee & Tea

 

10am – 12noon

Chair: TBC

Panel 3: “Choice” in the Perspective of Game Theory, Theology and Psychoanalysis

S. M. Amadae (Ohio State University)

“Game Theory’s Philosophy of Value: can Choice be free when Money is used to measure all Value?”

Bent Meier Sørensen (CBS)

“The Right to Choose: ‘Wo Ich war soll Es werden’”

12 – 1pm:

 

Lunch and Coffee at Kilen Canteen, ground floor 

 

R

1 – 3pm

Roundtable Discussion with Paul du Gay (CBS)

“‘Choice’ and Public Governance: Introducing CBS’ Business-in-Society Public-Private Platform”

3pm:

 

End of Conference. Discussions to be continued at Cafe Sokkelund, Smallegade 36.

 

Registration is required to: Associate Professor Stefan Schwarzkopf, ssc.lpf@cbs.dk