16th Annual STOREP Conference – Siena, 27-29 June 2019

16th STOREP CONFERENCE

Università di Siena, 27-29 June 2019

The Social Rules! Norms, Interaction, Rationality

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Venue   ΙΙ   Registration   ΙΙ   Accommodation   ΙΙ   Invited Speakers   ΙΙ   Raffaelli Lecture   ΙΙ   Young Scholars   ΙΙ   Social Activities

General Program  II  Session Program  II  Abstract book II  Conference participants 

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The 16th Annual STOREP Conference will be held at the Università di Siena, Dipartimento di Economia Politica e Statistica, P.zza S. Francesco 7-8, 53100 Siena, on June 27-29, 2019. The title of the conference is “The Social Rules! Norms, Interaction, Rationality”.

Dissatisfaction with homo oeconomicus and a utilitarian view of rationality is pervasive in current economic theory, even that part of it that is more akin to mathematical modelling. As the assumption that aggregate behaviour can mirror that of the representative agent has proved to be flawed, economists are increasingly scrutinizing the identity of economic agents, with an emphasis on both the importance of social interaction in shaping it and the influence exerted by the groups individuals belong to. Social dynamics looms large over individual rationality: interpersonal interaction, cooperation and social norms have become central topics of multidisciplinary oriented research.

In truth, historians of economics and economic thought can legitimately consider this a required turn in economic theory. At least after Donald Winch’s work, they have forcefully argued that even the supposed intellectual godfather of economic liberalism, Adam Smith, did not endorse an unrestrained version of individualism, but rather explored the nature of individuals as part of a wider inquiry into the institutional and social contexts wherein they operate – institutionalists will later speak of an “institutionalized man”. Similarly, the recent crisis encouraged extraordinary attention to suggestions coming from Keynes scholars who had been denied attention before it. Theoretical frameworks for analysing the financial meltdown and policy proposals to counteract it now show some distinctly Keynesian trait, with the economics profession searching for clues that orthodox models, also owing to their neglect of the heterogeneity among individuals who act under uncertainty, could not effectively deliver.

The 2019 STOREP Annual Conference in Siena invites contributions exploring the difficulties economics has in dealing with the social dimension of the interactions among individuals and seeking routes to constructively address it. The conference is intended to discuss the complex pattern of interdependence between individuals and society, relying on contributions from a variety of perspectives: history of economics, economic history, a plurality of theoretical approaches and cooperation with other disciplines. How social norms emerge and become stable? Why an established norm may suddenly be abandoned? How is it possible that inefficient norms survive, and which are the incentives motivating people to obey norms? Studies placing emphasis on the theoretical insights and policy implications of assuming individual behaviour as the outcome of social interaction, but also contextual analyses of how social attributes develop, are welcome.

Possible topics for the conference sessions include, but are not limited to:

  • Individual behaviour, interaction, and social structures
  • Uncertainty, expectations and conventional behaviour
  • The emergence of cooperation and the problem of coordination
  • The origins of prosocial behaviour
  • Relationships between ‘higher-level’ and ‘lower-level’ phenomena
  • The emergence of social norms and institutional change in economic history
  • The social dimension in the history of economic thought
  • The role of social norms in specific areas of economic activity (e.g. the labour market, consumption behaviour, price competition)
  • Evolutionary perspectives on behaviour and social dynamics
  • Experimental investigations of market and social interaction
  • The failures of economics as “social” science and the need for interdisciplinary cooperation

Proposals of papers in all fields adopting a historical perspective and/or comparing different approaches to economic issues are also welcome.

STOREP welcomes special sessions jointly organized with other scientific associations, and invites these latter to submit proposals.

Alan Kirman

We are pleased to announce that distinguished colleague Professor Alan Kirman (Directeur d’études à l’EHESS, Paris; Professeur émerite à Aix-Marseille Université) will join the conference as keynote speaker.

Richard Arena

Professor Richard Arena (Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) will deliver the third “Raffaelli lecture”.

The 2019 STOREP Conference will jointly organize initiatives (on the days immediately preceding the conference itself) and special sessions with the Institute for New Economic Thinking (and the “Young Scholars Initiative”) as well as with students and researchers of the international network “Rethinking Economics”.

Selected papers on the main topic of the conference will be considered for publication in the Review of Political Economy.

 

Proposals submission

The deadline for abstract and session proposals is March 25, 2019. Notification of accepted and rejected abstracts and sessions will be sent by April 10, 2019.

Abstract proposals (with keywords, JEL codes, and affiliation) must not exceed 400 words. Session proposals (general description of not more than 600 words) should include the abstract of the three scheduled papers.

Proposals must be uploaded on the Submission website of the 16th Annual STOREP conference at: conference.storep.org (follow instructions by clicking on “INFORMATION. For authors” in the right column menu).

Registration

May 15, 2019: Deadline for early registration (early fees).

May 30, 2019: Deadline for late registration (late fee) and for submitting full papers.

All participants, including young scholars who apply for the awards, must become STOREP members or renew their membership. It is highly recommended to book hotel stay well in advance.

All relevant information concerning registration fees, accommodation and programme will soon be published on both the conference (conference.storep.org) and the Association (www.storep.org/) websites.

 

Young Scholars STOREP Awards

1) Scholarships for young scholars (under 40 years of age, non tenured). In order to be eligible, the applicant is required to submit a Curriculum Vitae and an extended abstract (2,000 words ca., both to be uploaded on the Submission website) on any topic relevant to the history of political economy, by March 25, 2019. The final version of the papers must be uploaded within May 1, 2019. Applicants will be informed about the result of the evaluation process no later than May 10, 2019. The authors of the papers selected will be awarded free STOREP Conference registration, including the social dinner and the association’s annual membership fee, as well as, if possible, a lump sum contribution to travel and staying expenses.

2) The STOREP Award (of 500.00 €) for the best article presented at the Annual Conference by young scholars under 40 years of age. All applications, with CV and the final version of the papers, should be sent to segretario@storep.org no later than September 15, 2019.

 

Registration fees

  • STOREP Members

(early registration) by May 15th: 110€
(late registration) after May 15th: 175€

  • Others

(early registration) by May 15th: 160€ (annual membership included)
(late registration) after May 15th: 225€ (annual membership included)

  • Young scholars (non-tenured, under 40):

STOREP members: 40€
others: 60€ (annual membership included)

Conference fees include Conference material, lunches, coffee breaks and a welcome cocktail (as specified in the programme). They do not include the Social Dinner, which must be paid separately (also for further guests).

 

Organizing Committee

Angela Ambrosino (Università di Torino)
Mario Cedrini (Università di Torino)
Alberto Baccini (Università di Siena)
Massimo Di Matteo (Università di Siena)
Luca Fiorito (Università di Siena)
Alessandro Innocenti (Università di Siena)
Carlo Zappia (Università di Siena)

Scientific Committee

Angela Ambrosino (Università di Torino)
Mario Cedrini (Università di Torino)
Massimo Di Matteo (Università di Siena)
Luca Fiorito (Università di Siena)
Antonella Stirati (Università Roma Tre)
Carlo Zappia (Università di Siena)

 

SPONSORS and PARTNERS


Dipartimento di Economia Politica e Statistica
Università degli Studi di Siena

ChiantiBanca

 

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