The Shaping of Socio-Economic Systems (RLE Social Theory)

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Actor-systems dynamics is a multidisciplinary methodology for analyzing social struggles over economic resources and the interplay between economic and socio-political institutions. The authors, sociologists and economists, provide a systemic perspective on contemporary socio-economic issues such as economic crises, unemployment, inflation, and economic democracy. They identify key factors that drive interactions, initiate change, and provoke resistance. Major themes include conflict over economic resource distribution, the structural bases of economic inequality, and the shaping of socio-economic institutions, alongside the contradictions and instabilities these developments evoke. The text critiques orthodox economic theories, including Keynesianism, for their inadequacy in addressing recurrent economic crises. It presents an open, dynamic actor-oriented systems theory grounded in social sciences, diverging from conventional economics. The collected papers explore social power, conflict, and struggle related to economic resources and institutions, as well as the structural factors that drive initiatives, conflict, and social innovation. This work is aimed at a broad audience of social and managerial scientists interested in socio-economic issues, institutions, and development.