ORIGINAL PAPER
The Sociology of Money and Economics: Towards an Interdisciplinary Synthesis of Research on Monetary Phenomena
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Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw
Submission date: 2026-01-08
Final revision date: 2026-10-17
Acceptance date: 2026-10-19
Publication date: 2026-10-29
JoMS 2026;67(3):701-723
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
Objectives:
This article undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the complex relationships between the sociology of money and economics, examining theoretical and methodological differences between both disciplines and exploring possibilities for interdisciplinary synthesis. The study employs theoretical analysis and literature review methodology, examining classical and contemporary works in economics and sociology of money, including functionalist, institutional, and interpretive approaches.
Material and methods:
The analysis reveals three fundamental planes of tension: epistemological assumptions regarding the nature of money as a social versus economic phenomenon, methodological divergences between quantification and interpretation, and distinct theoretical paradigms.
Results:
The article proposes the concept of "sociological economics of money" as a space for methodological synthesis, demonstrating that fruitful coexistence requires mutual recognition of particular epistemic competencies while developing common analytical tools capable of capturing the multidimensionality of contemporary monetary phenomena.
Conclusions:
Three main planes of tension were identified. First, epistemological differences regarding money nature—economics assumes theoretical transparency and functional reducibility, while sociology emphasizes social construction and meaning irreducibility. Second, methodological divergences between quantitative modeling and qualitative interpretation reflect deeper assumptions about social phenomena knowability. Third, analytical level differences—macro-economic focus versus micro-social ethnographic approaches—pose aggregation challenges. Importantly, these tensions should not be understood as obstacles to inquiry, but as indicators of the multidimensional nature of monetary phenomena themselves.
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