Economic sociology and the study of inequalities The empirical evidence coming from the research on inequality provides important inputs for many socio-economic areas of study. It can be employed in the analysis of market economies and models of capitalism in the field of comparative political economy, in the institutional analysis of family building and social reproduction and in the study of social networks as approached by the new economic sociology. Economic sociology research on these issues proves particularly effective in identifying the generative mechanisms of inequality and detecting new research issues related to it. The paper illustrates the constructive exchange between research on inequality and economic sociology. The first and second sections deal with the connection between inequality and the models of capitalism; while the third and fourth sections concern respectively the analysis of social reproduction and the role of social network in economic life.
