The financial crisis growing social inequality precarious employment contracts against the
backdrop of growing migrant populations have pushed the economy into the forefront of current
socio-political debates. The articles in this issue rely on a broad definition of economics and
inquire into the interaction between gender and other differential categories in the context of
material culture loans debt and asset arrangements. The economic actions of men and women are
proving to be very closely linked with social relationships and logics - indeed well into the
20th century. The extent to which cultural phenomena have influenced economic sectors gender
hierarchies and regulatory authorities becomes manifest at once. The articles also demonstrate
the potential of a history of interconnections thereby contributing to a more comprehensive
understanding of economic processes.
