Qualitative Economics - Toward A Science of Economics

This book is about science - specifically, the science of economics. Or lack thereof is more accurate. All science, let alone economics, is grounded in the understanding of what is beneath the "surface" or the definitions and meanings attached to words, numbers, concepts and written analyses. By focusing on the interactions of people and business activities as case examples, we develop the science of economics. We take in particular the concern with global warming and climate change since these areas present both environmental problems caused by humankind along with solutions that involve people and business activities, expressed and captured in economic terms. Science, and hence economics, must be concerned with understanding real world experiences in order to formulate hypotheses that articulate into theories which produce descriptions of how to understand phenomenon and real world experiences.

Today economics is primarily focused on numbers and statistics. Economics as it has evolved from the neo-classical theories infrequently presents, describes and discusses the definitions, meanings and analytical forecasts of the numbers and statistics that are produced. It simply can not. Why? Economics, as practiced in the contemporary academic and corporate world, is problematic in that it can not incorporate people. Economics must become a science, because the essence of economics in terms of understanding human actions, group interactions and communities are in needed. The economic actions of organizations and communities are about people interacting in everyday of life, trying to understand the past, construct the future and make sense of the present.

This perspective is what philosophers have traditionally called the "lifeworld" paradigm from the German die Lebenswelt, with its roots in the 18th Century philosophy of Kant, and later on Husserl, Heidegger, Schutz, and Gadamer. The results of these philosophical traditions is seen in different schools of contemporary social science thought ranging from phenomenology, hermeneutic, ethnomethodology, linguistics (Noam Chomsky) and symbolic interactionism (Herbert Blumer) among others. For example, the result of qualitative economics is link to what Jeremy Rifkin and others are now calling "The Third Industrial Revolution" or the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy power generation, storage and carbon neutral communities. This Revolution has already begun, primarily in Europe and Japan.

In short, the entire volume is a landmark philosophical and practical study in economic theory and practice. It challenges the roots and paradigm of contemporary economic theory through an examination of its logic. The book presents a strong set of core philosophical arguments directed toward making economics a science. In short, this volume will lead to further debate and discussion of economics becoming a science. As all scientific inquiry should review data and information in order to create a new or different perspective for understanding and change. That is what we have done here.

CONTENTS

INTERACTIONISM: A FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMICS OF ORGANIZATION
Introduction
The Aim of the Book
The paradigm shift: Economics as a science
The Book Contents

PART I: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND THE LIFEWORLD TRADITIONS

2. THE CASE FOR RETHINKING THE FOUNDATION OF ECONOMICS
The Business Economic Debate
The Paradigm Debate
The need for Qualitative and Action Research in the Science of Business Economics
Context of Business Economics and Culture
Sociological Phenomenology and organizations
Symbolic Interactionism

3. UNDERSTANDING THE ORGANIZATION OF SCIENCE
Science & Philosophy of Science
The Development of Science
(Natural) Sciences
Social Science and Objectivism - Positivism & Rationalism
An Alternative Science - The Science of Subjectivism and Lifeworld
The Concept of Paradigm
The Placing of the Concept of Paradigm
Paradigms in Social Science
The Dimension of Philosophy of Science The Debate Between Objectivity vs Subjectivity
Differences between Objectivism & Subjectivism
The Dimension of Philosophy of Society - Regulation Vs Radical Change
Understanding Ontological Themes and Theories in Social Science Four Paradigms
Traditions of Objectivism - Rationalism and Positivism
- The Functionalist Paradigm
- The Radical Structuralist Paradigm
Traditions of Lifeworld - Subjectivism
- The Interpretive Paradigm
- The Radical Humanist Paradigm
Discussion of Paradigms
Discussion of paradigm analyses
Everyday Business Dynamics can be Scientific

4. UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY OF LIFEWORLD TRADITIONS AND THE SUBJECTIVISM PARADIGM
The Ontology and the Discussion of Science
Immanuel Kant and the foundation of Subjectivism
Science and The Lifeworld
Dilthey - the Life (Leben) and Science of spirit (geist)
Weber and Sociology as Social Action
Husserl and die Lebenswelt
Schutz and Social Phenomenology
Understanding of the Ontology and Epistemology
Consciousness & Intentionality
Transcendental Phenomenology & Phenomenology as Methodology
Schutz and the Phenomenological Analysis in Social Science
Science and Understanding - the Lifeworld as Understanding
Dilthey and Verstehen
- The Hermeneutic Circle 104 Weber Verstehen, Action and Social Relations
Gadamer and Understanding
- Gadamer and the Hermeneutic Circle
- Understanding
Schutz and Understanding
The Lifeworld - The "I" being in the world
Merleau-Ponty and the Lifeworld
Heidegger and Dasein
Schutz - The Lifeworld and Intersubjectivity
- Typification
- Lifeworld as Multiple Realities
Social Action
Weber and Social Action
Schutz and Meaningful Action
Meaning context
Signs
Social Interaction
N Chomsky - Linguistic Theory: the Science of Qualitative Research
Use of Linguistic Theory in Everyday Life
Transformational Linguistics
Transformational Rules in Business
Conclusion

5.G. H. MEAD AND H. BLUMER- SOCIAL THEORY AND SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Introduction George Herbert Mead
Mind, Self & Society
The Mind
The Self
The Social Act, Gesture and The Generalized Other
- The Social Act
- Gesture
- The generalized Other
- Language
- Meaning
- The Society
- Methodology and Consciousness
Herbert Blumer Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionism
- "Root Images" or "Basic Ideas"
- Methodological Principles of Empirical Science
Summary Part I
Science
Weber and Ideal Types
Traditions - an Overview

PART II: QUALITATIVE ECONOMICS

6. THE STUDY OF QUALITATIVE ECONOMICS
Economics Studies: the case of business

Woodrow Clark II

Michael Fast

7. SCIENCE OF QUALITATIVE ECONOMICS Introduction
Philosophy of Science: economic theory in business
Application to business in everyday life
Interactionism and Business-Economics: toward a theory of the firm
- Conventional-Structural Perspective
- Resource-Based Perspective
- The Interactionism Perspective
The Organization as a Social Construction of Interactionism
Actors' Action & Knowledge - the constitution of the "firm"
- "Environment" or the "situational analysis"
- Interaction & Knowledge
Organizing - fitting together of lines of activities and actions
- Organizing: dynamism of the firm
- Intersubjectivity and the Organizational Approach
The Actors' Experiential Space - Organizational Lifeworld
Constituting of the Organizational Activities and of the "Firm"
Summary: Toward a New Theory of the Firm

8. METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS IN INTERACTIONISM
Introduction
Action Research Methods: at the core of data gathering for everyday Business life
Basic Philosophical Aspects of Methodology
Qualitative principles
Silverman - the action frame of reference
Sample Economic Action Research Methodological protocol
Everyday Business dynamics is Scientific

9. EVERYDAY ECONOMIC LIFE Introduction
Scientific Interactionism Process and Perspective
CASE #1: Market Forces or the manipulation of California into an energy crisis
Situational Analysis
The Enron Case: Private instead of Public Monopolies
CASE #2: The economics and commercialization of an advanced storage technology: The Fuel Cell
Fuel Cell Technology: from a national research laboratory
Technology as element in the creation of New Business Venture
CASE #3: Economics of entrepreneurship, SMEs and New Ventures
Methodological Considerations in Theory Building
Practical Applications for Entrepreneurship and Business Development
The Organization and the Actors
Organizations as Social Construction of Interactionism
Organizational Development as Uncertainty and Change
Operational Concepts
Surface Structure Representations
Deep Structure Representations
Organizations as Collectivity in Competency Building
Networks and Change
Qualitative Scientific Descriptive Analysis
Interactionism Surface and Deep representations
Transformations
Conclusion: understanding the economic theory of building

10. FORMALISM IN ECONOMICS Introduction: Subjective interactionism and linguistic theory
Interactionism and the firm
Macro and Microeconomics: interactionism and situational
The Science Linguistics applied to Economics
Scientific Paradigm and Theoretical Change
Transformational Linguistics
Transformational Rules in Business
Internationalization as a Social and Economic Construction
Knowledge and Meaning
Interaction and Knowledge
Economic Rule Making in Interactionism Process
Organizing the Business Opportunity
Constituting the Internationalization of the Business Opportunity
Actors' International Experiential Space
Management and Organizational Interaction in New Ventures
Intersubjectivity and the Construction of Rules for Business Situations
Surface Structure Rules
Deep Structure Rules
Transformations
Prediction in Subjectivist Paradigm
Summary

11. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Introduction
Phenomenology - The Tradition of The Lifeworld Perspective
Symbolic Interactionism: In the Subjectivist Theoretical Paradigm
Transformational Linguistics: Economic Rules of Formalism in business practices
In Conclusion -- on a Personal Note

ADDENDUM

REFERENCES

AUTHOR INDEX

INDEX

Order Form via web site