The Role of Money in Interpersonal Communication: A Review of Microsociological Conceptions of Money

Abstract

The author shows the division between structural and cultural theories of money in sociology. Structural theories explain money as economic exchange mediator, an element of the network of communication or as objective indicator of the qualities of communication. Cultural theories pay special attention to cultural context of  interpersonal interaction, explaining money as a label of interaction itself. This division helps the author to systematize microsociological conceptions of money and indicate some problems for future studies of the social nature of money.