Homo-Economicus in the City: Towards an Urban Socio-economic Research Agenda

Abstract

This paper seeks to outline the emerging debates and approaches in socio-economics, focusing particularly on the work of Etzioni. In relation to each of three core elements of the socio-economic agenda, possible applications to and implications for urban research are explored. Many of the ideas in the socio-economic approach require empirical testing and evaluation and it is argued that there are several aspects of the urban research agenda which provide plausible and potentially fertile grounds for applying the approach.