Wojtek Przepiorka
We are happy to announce Professor Wojtek Przepiorka as our tenth Vienna Karl Polanyi Visiting Professor for the fall term 2025! In the course of his visit to Vienna, he will hold a PhD-seminar, an Internal Workshop at Central European University and an open lecture.
About
Wojtek Przepiorka is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bern since 2025. As a sociologist, he is “interested in the causes and consequences of human cooperation (and the lack thereof)”. Prof. Przepiorka’s research focuses on social norm dynamics in general and group dynamics in particular repetition, communication in strategic and intergroup interactions as well as institutions in relation to open societies and the digital transformation.
From 2014 he was working at the University of Utrecht’s Department of Sociology as an assistant professor and then associate professor from 2021. He was a postdoc at Nuffield College and the Department of Sociology in Oxford after obtaining his PhD at ETH Zürich and graduated in Sociology, Economics and Computer Science at the University of Bern
PUBLIC LECTURE (in German)
Wie bauen Menschen Vertrauen auf und pflegen kooperative Tauschbeziehungen in anonymen Online-Märkten für illegale Waren? Diese sogenannten Kryptomärkte, die im Dark Web gehostet werden, funktionieren ohne die rechtlichen und institutionellen Schutzmaßnahmen, die normalerweise den Handel regulieren. Stattdessen stützen sie sich auf eine Mischung aus formellen Reputationssystemen und informellen Gemeinschaftspraktiken. Aufbauend auf Karl Polanyis Konzept der Einbettung zeigt unsere Forschung, dass die Reputationsbildung in versteckten Online-Märkten nicht nur von Eigeninteressen abhängt, sondern auch von moralischen Motiven wie Fairness und Verantwortung. Viele Händler*innen geben Feedback, um das kollektive Gut vertrauenswürdiger Bewertungen aufrechtzuerhalten. Gleichzeitig reichen Bewertungen allein nicht aus. Selbst in illegalen und anonymen Umgebungen bleiben Märkte in das soziale und moralische Leben eingebettet, was zeigt, dass Kooperation auch dort entstehen kann, wo rechtliche Institutionen nicht greifen können.
PHD - SEMINAR
The Research Seminar Social and Economic Exchange in the Digital Society will be open for PhD-Students at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), University of Vienna and Central European University (CEU). Also, Master-Students at University of Vienna and CEU will be able to participate. Participation is limited.
APPLICATION
Interested Students have to submit an application with a letter of motivation (1 page max) and a CV. Please send your application to the following mail-addresses and pay attention to the dateline:
Send your application to: renate.schmid@univie.ac.at AND beata.boor@univie.ac.at (in cc) by September 15th 2025
SEMINAR CONTENT
This seminar in economic sociology at the University of Vienna, held by Prof. Wojtek Przepiorka and supported by Prof. Bernhard Kittel, examines the evolving relationship between markets, moral norms, and social norms. The course is structured in two parts, tracing how digital and social transformations reconfigure the foundations of economic life. It comprises lectures, class discussions, group assignments and student presentations.
To obtain a grade and pass the course, participants must actively participate in at least 8 of the 10 course units, be present at the public lecture, the workshop at the Central European University, and complete the assessments with a passing final grade.
To learn more about the course, please follow the link to the Syllabus below.
LECTURES
January 21st, 2026; 6:00 PM (CET)
@VHS Wien Urania
Dachsaal
Public Lecture by Wojtek Przepiorka “Moralische und soziale Einbettung versteckter Online-Märkte” (in German)
Application phase is over
WATCH THIS SPACE for MORE about the CEU event:
CEU Workshop
Read
Przepiorka, W., & Diekmann, A. (2021). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376, 20200294.
Przepiorka, W., Norbutas, L., & Corten, R. (2017). European Sociological Review, 33(6), 752-764.