Enacting Dismal Science

New Perspectives on the Performativity of Economics

Ivan Boldyrev editor Ekaterina Svetlova editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Palgrave Macmillan

Published:13th Sep '18

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Enacting Dismal Science cover

In this book, sociologists, philosophers, and economists investigate the conceptual issues around the performativity of economics over a variety of disciplinary contexts and provide new case studies illuminating this phenomenon. In featuring the latest contributions to the performativity debate the book revives discussion of the fundamental questions: What precise meaning can we attribute to the notion of performativity? What empirical evidence can help us recognize economics as performative? And what consequences does performativity have for contemporary societies? The contributions demonstrate how performativity can serve as a powerful conceptual resource in dealing with economic knowledge, as an inspiring framework for investigating performative practices, and as an engine of discovery for thinking of the economic proper.             

“This collection is commendable for actually doing what it says it does; presenting different views on the theoretical discussions and empirical developments that define performativity of economics today. … Enacting dismal science explicitly positions itself within performativity of economics and, hence, will find a particularly engaged audience among scholars who identify with this perspective – and field.” (Sine Nørholm Just, Ephemera. Theory & Politics In Organization, Vol. 18 (3), 2018)


“Enacting Dismal Science aims at bringing together sociologists, philosophers, and economists to give an overview of ‘what has happened in performativity research in the last year’ … . Indeed, the volume’s strength is in combining theoretical and empirical contributions that give readers a good sense of this fast-growing, cross-disciplinary field, including the various lines of (at times fierce) criticism that has been directed against it.” (Benjamin Braun, Economic Sociology, The European Electronic Newsletter, Vol. 18 (3), July, 2017)

“Boldyrev and Svetlova have set out a challenging and important task to push forward the dispersed streams of thought on performativity of economics. While this volume offers a solid reconstruction of the historical origins of the concept … .” (Pavel Kuchař, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, Vol.10 (2), Fall, 2017)

“This book … provides new important tools for inquiring into that notion, called performativity… . The book’s title contains the word ‘enacting’, as the mechanism of enaction is considered a pivotal performative mechanism … . it emphasizes that the study of performativity constitutes a real opportunity for economics.” (Enrico Petracca, History of Economic Ideas, Vol. 25 (3), 2017)

ISBN: 9781349958429

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 454g

206 pages

1st ed. 2016