Staging Economics: Zur Kulturanalyse des Wirtschaftlichen

Abstract

The cultural analysis of economics that draws from European Ethnology is still clearly underemphasized. This article highlights its potential and explores possible approaches. It begins with a search for traces of the previous disciplinary preoccupation with economy and economics (economic theorizing). Then, using examples from the author’s own research (studies on business cycle research and on the phenomenon of economy museums), ways of approaching and their potential for knowledge production are concretised. Based on this, further-reaching perspectives are presented. Basically, it is not enough to limit the European-ethnological study of economy and academic economic activities to everyday actors and practices. It is also indispensable to look at economic expertise, its efficacy in economic processes and the „fabrication“ of this expertise – in the academic sphere and beyond.