{"title":"Capital and the Family.","authors":"Jens Beckert, Isabell Stamm","doi":"10.1111/1468-4446.70015","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>How are capital and the family interconnected in contemporary capitalism? In this article, we argue that they come together in owning relations. By owning capital across generations, families bridge the temporal gap between the durability of capital and the finite lifespan of private property holders and thus resolve the problem of bona vacantia. We posit that the ownership of capital influences the structure and practices of families. Vice versa family centered ownership of capital actively shapes economic processes. Making sense of how capital and the family are interlinked contributes to our understanding of the perpetuation and concentration of wealth as well as of contemporary forms of political economies. Lastly, we point to the social inequality stemming from family-centered owning relations and explore potential alternatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":51368,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Sociology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"British Journal of Sociology","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.70015","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SOCIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
How are capital and the family interconnected in contemporary capitalism? In this article, we argue that they come together in owning relations. By owning capital across generations, families bridge the temporal gap between the durability of capital and the finite lifespan of private property holders and thus resolve the problem of bona vacantia. We posit that the ownership of capital influences the structure and practices of families. Vice versa family centered ownership of capital actively shapes economic processes. Making sense of how capital and the family are interlinked contributes to our understanding of the perpetuation and concentration of wealth as well as of contemporary forms of political economies. Lastly, we point to the social inequality stemming from family-centered owning relations and explore potential alternatives.
期刊介绍:
British Journal of Sociology is published on behalf of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is unique in the United Kingdom in its concentration on teaching and research across the full range of the social, political and economic sciences. Founded in 1895 by Beatrice and Sidney Webb, the LSE is one of the largest colleges within the University of London and has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence nationally and internationally. Mission Statement: • To be a leading sociology journal in terms of academic substance, scholarly reputation , with relevance to and impact on the social and democratic questions of our times • To publish papers demonstrating the highest standards of scholarship in sociology from authors worldwide; • To carry papers from across the full range of sociological research and knowledge • To lead debate on key methodological and theoretical questions and controversies in contemporary sociology, for example through the annual lecture special issue • To highlight new areas of sociological research, new developments in sociological theory, and new methodological innovations, for example through timely special sections and special issues • To react quickly to major publishing and/or world events by producing special issues and/or sections • To publish the best work from scholars in new and emerging regions where sociology is developing • To encourage new and aspiring sociologists to submit papers to the journal, and to spotlight their work through the early career prize • To engage with the sociological community – academics as well as students – in the UK and abroad, through social media, and a journal blog.