Institutionalism: On the Need to Firm up Notions of Social Structure and the Human Subject
Author(s)
Lawson, Tony
Abstract
Within (old) institutionalist theorizing there has been a widespread tendency for institutions and technology to be treated in a somewhat dichotomous fashion, with the former regarded as synonymous with constraint, rigidity, or stasis and the latter associated with change and dynamics. Very often this dichotomy is associated with Thorstein Veblen (being referred to as the “Veblen dichotomy”) even though on close scrutiny of Veblen’s texts it is easy enough to find commentaries seemingly at odds with it. The author focuses on explaining the widespread acceptance of the dichotomy within the institutionalist tradition or for the commonplace association of it with Veblen.