Theories of market society on a world scale

Contemporary social theory on market society centres on ideas from Europe and North America. However, the experience of market society is global and social theory derived from the experience of Europe and North America  cannot sufficiently address the social dimension of transition to market regimes in the Global South. This paper is drawn from an ARC funded research project titled ‘The Making of Market Society on a World Scale: Social Experience and Social Theory from the Global South.’ It is aimed at producing a sociology of global market society that highlights the ideas and experience of the global periphery. In doing so, it aims to develop a new model of theory construction that can link multiple knowledge systems from different world regions. This paper addresses conference themes about the globalization of economic life and the localization of social life by examining the shift to a market society on a world scale as one that cannot be explained by a general theoretical framework which views the majority post-colonial world through the lens of the Global North.