ABSTRACT
Embeddedness-talk is everywhere, but is confused. This chapter explores the first limitation of our ongoing conceptual commitment to embeddedness, namely the internal inconsistencies of the concept. By comparing two interpretations of Polanyian, macro-level embeddedness by Fred Block and Gareth Dale, we can begin to appreciate the full extent of the implications for exmpirical research of different theoretical interpretations. In asking “what are we talking about?”, and in comparing Block’s and Dale’s interpretations of Polanyian embeddedness, we can see the differences that result from framing, exemplified by Academic Ann, our main guide in this chapter. We also see that responses to the 2008 financial crash map neatly on to Block’s and Dale’s interpretations of embeddedness, reproducing confusion in how we do, talk, and think about the relationships between law, economy, and society.
