Devices and Desires: How useful is the 'new' new economic sociology for understanding market attachment

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Abstract

This article explores the usefulness of recent economic sociology literature for understanding processes of market attachment. It focuses particularly on concepts like agencement and market devices proposed by authors like Michel Callon, Fabian Muniesa and Franck Cochoy and to their application to mass consumer markets. The article addresses critical responses which have been levelled at this literature to argue that despite what some regard as an overly descriptive and apolitical banality, this may in fact be a prime and necessary virtue. Key words: market devices, Callon, calculation, retailing, actor-network theory