Davydenko A.V., Andrianova E.V. Ambivalence as an “umbrella concept”. Reflections on the publication of the book: Radaev, V. and Kotelnikova, Z. (eds). 2022. The Ambivalence of Power in the Twenty-First-Century Economy: Cases from Russia and beyond. London: UCL Press, 369 pages. Part 1. Siberian Socium. 2023. Vol. 7. No. 1 (23). Pp. 88-111. DOI: 10.21684 ...

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: https://siberian-socium.utmn.ru/upload/iblock/b4d/88_111_Davydenko_Andrianova.pdf (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 23.06.2023)

Abstract

Collective monograph “Ambivalence of power in the economy of the XXI century: examples from Russia and other countries” edited by Prof. V.V. Radaev and assoc. Z. Kotelnikova, published by University College London “UCL Press” and and is available to the readers in free access [32; 19] - is the result of extensive collaboration of researchers from various countries the world, Russian cities and research groups, the core of which was the research team of the Laboratory of Economic Sociology Research of the Higher School of Economics. Seventeen articles of the reviewed book are built around the metaphor “ambivalence of power,” which, as an introductory definition, claims to be a substitute for “political ambivalence. The term was introduced and developed in Robert Merton’s school of “middle-range” theories, and as his students commented, the definition of “ambivalence” along with “irony” is the basis of his “sociological wisdom. “The great love for facts that any good sociologist should have is connected with the realization that facts do not speak for themselves. Robert Merton found in irony and ambivalence the right tools to overcome the insurmountable distance between facts and interpretations, between unattainable objectivity and the inevitably personal point of view of the researcher underlying his reflections and scientific constructions” [28]. The book under review continues this constructive tradition and develops a conceptual frame of reference for many examples of “bounded rationality” in the format of “ambivalence”, made by posing the same set of questions from various angles, which created a constructive paradigm basis for various mental points of view and ob¬jects of study by individual authors. Taking a critical approach to all the subsections of the book that make up its theoretical and empirical framework, it should be emphasized that they make one think that the basic term “ambivalence of power” is most likely a definition that reflects some kind of “umbrella concept” (“um¬brella concept”), which consists in the release under one brand of NRU HSE has several groups of scientific products at once, when representatives of various interests are comfortably ensconced under one “umbrella” with a demonstration of its logo, even if, in the end, some of the articles do not convince us completely of its integrity and completeness. The “umbrella approach” gives a new impetus to the brand promotion strategy of the “Laboratory for Research in Economic Sociology of the Higher School of Economics”, to the 15th anniversary of which the reviewed book is timed. Speaking critically, it should be noted that many of her articles are refreshingly unorthodox in their tone and content, creating contexts of returning to the past from our present. It seems that the famous new economic sociology is at risk of getting bogged down in its own anti-neoclassical orthodoxies. This is indicated by the obvious confusion of the concepts of “ambivalence”, “opportunism” and “limited rationality”, which forces us to return to the forerunners of the proposed theoret¬ical construction. As always in collections of articles of this kind, the conclusions differ in subject matter and quality, but at the same time there are quite a lot of really stimulating works in the monograph with a scientific challenge to satisfy anyone who is interested in issues linking the modern economy with modern society. It is a great honor for the authors of the article to present in the scientific journal “Siberian Society” our critical review of this unique collective monograph, which is one of the most significant books published recently in the subject area of economic sociology.