Virgil Henry Storr
Biographic Data
| ID | 617573 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Virgil Henry Storr |
| GIVEN NAMES | Virgil Henry |
| FAMILY NAME | Storr |
| SIGNATURE | STORR V H |
| AFFILIATIONS | George Mason University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8151-9848 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 177 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 4 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Relying on social capital in all its forms
Individual and Community Resilience After Dorian 1
Adam Smith on markets and their potential to benefit the poorest in society
Revisiting Adam Smith can be a useful way to resurface key aspects of how markets work that are underemphasized in current scholarship. This is especially fruitful when Smith’s claims have strong support within the political economy literature. This article focuses on Smith’s various arguments about the impact of markets on the least advantaged, and whether there is support for his claims in the contemporary literature. Despite advances in the la…
Calling on and thanking God
Faith and faith communities play a critical role in post‐disaster recovery for at least three reasons. First, faith is a socially shared frame through which individuals understand a disaster and evaluate potential means of recovery. Second, faith is a driver or motivator of post‐disaster recovery, providing inspiration, encouragement, and solace. Third, faith communities foster social capital, aiding the re‐establishment and rebuilding of devasta…
Understanding Ludwig Lachmann's Economics
Ludwig Lachmann is a central but underappreciated figure within the Austrian school of economics. Although his understanding of institutions, his appreciation of the heterogeneity of capital, his emphasis on subjectivity, and his focus on the dynamism and uncertainty of the real world have become dominant positions amongst Austrian economists, he is still viewed as something of an outsider. As such, the contributions of Lachmann's economics are a…
Living Better Together
This book, Living Better Together, expands upon some of the important concepts and implications of Elinor Ostrom and Viviana Zelizer’s research.
Beyond our parochialism
Parochialism, by which we mean in-group preferences and out-group prejudice, has the potential to influence public policy. In-group preferences and out-group prejudice can lead individuals to evaluate a policy based on how that policy affects the groups they belong to rather than on the basis of their ideological priors or the impact of that policy on society at large. Unchecked, parochialism likely leads to problematic policies and perverse soci…
Entrepreneurship during a pandemic
The Market as a Space for Building a Peaceful Society
Social life can take on a variety of forms – some violent, others peaceful. One type of social arrangement that is especially conducive to peace are friendships, that is, relationships based on mutual trust and dependence. The market is one important but often neglected space where we can practice habits of peacefulness and develop friendships. Markets are social spaces where peaceful societies are built. Although the market is indeed a space for…
Social entrepreneurship, co‐production, and post‐disaster recovery
Post‐disaster recovery requires co‐production; that is, the inputs of citizens are essential for successful community recovery to occur. Citizens contribute to post‐disaster recovery by volunteering, taking on consultative and decision‐making roles within their communities, and directly participating in post‐disaster reconstruction efforts. Without meaning ful contributions from citizens—the intended beneficiaries—unilateral efforts by public off…
Government Responses to Crisis
Bottom-up Responses to Crisis
Economic freedom and materialism
Adam Smith and the Study of Ethics in a Commercial Society
Over time, the fields of economics and ethics have become more distinct with economics focusing on the rationality of actors, the incentives they face, and the outcomes of interacting within an amoral market setting. However, in the real world, economics and ethics are more interconnected. Humans are social and ethical beings regardless of setting. Recent studies have shown that individuals reward trustworthiness, punish dishonesty, and can devel…
A culture of rent seeking
Max Weber on the Market's Impersonality and Ethic
Market exchange is often depicted as devoid of traditional feelings of community, and perhaps as being destructive of those feelings. Max Weber's ideal typification of the market is one particularly clear exposition of this perspective on market activity. In the context of Weber's broader contributions to an understanding of social life, however, this impersonal ideal type seems inconsistently applied. This paper examines this internal tension re…
The Austrian and Bloomington Schools of Political Economy
Prelims -- ABC-Austria, Bloomington, Chicago: political economy the Ostrom Way -- The Ostroms and Hayek as theorists of complex adaptive systems: commonality and complementarity -- A practical approach to understanding: the possibilities and limitations of applied work in political economy -- The organizational evolution of the American National Red Cross: an Austrian and Bloomington approach to organizational growth and expansion -- Covenant and…
Austrian and Bloomington Schools of Political Economy
Polycentric orders and post-disaster recovery
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States on 29 October 2012, flooding hundreds of thousands of homes and costing over $50 billion in property damage. After Hurricane Sandy residents and communities required food, water and clothing, and in the weeks and months following, there was demand for cleaning supplies, building materials and contracting services. Polycentric orders, because of their flexibility and access to local knowledge…
Ludwig Lachmann’s peculiar status within Austrian economics
Schumpeter, Socialism, and Irony
Schumpeter’s theory of socialism pivots on his response to Ludwig von Mises’s claim that rational economic calculation is “impossible” in a socialist economy. Mises held that because socialism eliminates market prices for the means of production, it is impossible under socialism to know the relative scarcities of productive inputs, and thus to determine rationally which of any number of technologically feasible production projects to pursue. Schu…
The Impartial Spectator and the Moral Teachings of Markets
Market skeptics have persuasively argued that the market is a social arena that is not simply amoral but that has negative moral consequences. Market apologists have offered two basic responses to this kind of charge: that the market is amoral, and that it transforms private vice into public virtue. This chapter discusses the moral teachings of the market—that is, the moral sentiments individuals are likely to acquire and develop as they engage i…
Social Economy as an Extension of the Austrian Research Program
Contemporary Austrian scholars have attempted to develop a research program in social economy (including a focus on mental models, generalized norms, social networks, and culture) to complement the school’s already well-developed research program in political economy. Rather than settling on a single approach or adopting a single perspective, however, they have pursued a number of different strategies. As a result, Austrian contributions to under…
Contemporary Austrian Economics and the New Economic Sociology
Contemporary Austrian economics and the new economic sociology have much in common. First, they share intellectual influences, especially Max Weber. Second, they offer similar critiques of neoclassical economics, and both stress the importance of Verstehen. Third, they have complementary conceptions of rational action and of the role of social institutions in shaping rational action. Specifically, these schools agree on a number of key theoretica…
Post-Classical Political Economy Polity, Society and Economy in Weber, Mises and Hayek
This paper explores the relationship of Max Weber's social economics to the work of the Austrian School of Economics, and in particular the writings of Ludwig von Mises and F. A. Hayek. It argues that the Austrian school scholars complement and extend the work of Weber. The sophisticated form of methodological individualism found in Weber, Mises and Hayek overcomes the shortcomings of traditional economic and sociological analysis and could provi…
Social Capital as Collective Narratives and Post-Disaster Community Recovery
This paper examines how social capital aids in post-disaster community recovery and redevelopment. While previous studies on social capital and post-disaster recovery have tended to focus on social networks as a source of necessary assistance, the primary focus of this study is on how social capital in the form of collective narratives affects post-disaster recovery. We argue that collective narratives can shape the recovery strategies that indiv…
There’s No Place like New Orleans”
This study contributes to the literature on the strength of place attachment, identity, and dependence in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. It also engages the literature concerning the role of sense of place in community engagement and the disruption in place attachment, identity, and dependence that natural disasters can cause. By drawing on interview data collected from residents who returned to New Orleans after the storm and from forme…
The market as a social space
Expectations of government’s response to disaster
Club Goods and Post-Disaster Community Return
Hurricane Katrina caused over one hundred billion dollars in property damage in the Greater New Orleans region. Although much attention has been paid to why particular communities have begun to recover and others have failed to rebound, very little attention has been paid to how the communities that have recovered actually went about doing so. This paper attempts to close that gap by examining how the church provision of club goods can foster soc…
A culture of rent seeking
Post-disaster Community Recovery in Heterogeneous, Loosely Connected Communities
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on 29 August 2005, leaving a great deal of destruction, pain, and uncertainty in its wake. Post-disaster community rebound is a collective action problem where every individual's decision to rebuild is impacted by the likelihood that others in the community will rebuild. The literature on post-disaster recovery suggests that homogenous, tight-knit communities will have an advantage over more diverse, less-conn…
The Social Construction of the Market
Social entrepreneurship, co‐production, and post‐disaster recovery
Post‐disaster recovery requires co‐production; that is, the inputs of citizens are essential for successful community recovery to occur. Citizens contribute to post‐disaster recovery by volunteering, taking on consultative and decision‐making roles within their communities, and directly participating in post‐disaster reconstruction efforts. Without meaning ful contributions from citizens—the intended beneficiaries—unilateral efforts by public off…
Calling on and thanking God
Faith and faith communities play a critical role in post‐disaster recovery for at least three reasons. First, faith is a socially shared frame through which individuals understand a disaster and evaluate potential means of recovery. Second, faith is a driver or motivator of post‐disaster recovery, providing inspiration, encouragement, and solace. Third, faith communities foster social capital, aiding the re‐establishment and rebuilding of devasta…
Economic freedom and materialism
Ludwig Lachmann’s peculiar status within Austrian economics
Commercial Relationships and Spaces after Disaster
Complexity, Governance and Constitutional Craftsmanship
This paper explores the relationship of Max Weber's “social economics” to the work of the Austrian School of Economics, and in particular the writings of Ludwig von Mises and F. A. Hayek. We argue that the Austrian school scholars complement and extend the work of Weber. The sophisticated form of methodological individualism found in Weber, Mises and Hayek overcomes the shortcomings of traditional economic and sociological analysis and could prov…
The market as a social space
There’s No Place like New Orleans”
This study contributes to the literature on the strength of place attachment, identity, and dependence in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. It also engages the literature concerning the role of sense of place in community engagement and the disruption in place attachment, identity, and dependence that natural disasters can cause. By drawing on interview data collected from residents who returned to New Orleans after the storm and from forme…
Club Goods and Post-Disaster Community Return
Hurricane Katrina caused over one hundred billion dollars in property damage in the Greater New Orleans region. Although much attention has been paid to why particular communities have begun to recover and others have failed to rebound, very little attention has been paid to how the communities that have recovered actually went about doing so. This paper attempts to close that gap by examining how the church provision of club goods can foster soc…
The role of social entrepreneurship in post-Katrina community recovery
This article explores the role of social entrepreneurship in post-Katrina community recovery. Relying on interviews with a wide variety of stakeholders, including residents, business owners and managers, church pastors, non-profit directors and employees and rental property owners, we conclude that social entrepreneurs perform several key factors after a disaster. These include: A) helping to solve the collective action problem associated with de…
The Political Economy of Hurricane Katrina and Community Rebound
Contents: 1. Introduction - Uncertainty and Discovery in a Post-Disaster Context Emily Chamlee-Wright and Virgil Henry Storr PART I: OVERCOMING UNCERTAINTY AND TAPPING CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS 2. Uncertainty in the Post-Katrina Big Easy Adam Martin 3. The Use of Knowledge in Natural Disaster Relief Management Russell S. Sobel and Peter T. Leeson. 4. Making Hurricane Response More Effective: Lessons from the Private …
Expectations of government’s response to disaster
The Social Construction of the Market
Social Capital as Collective Narratives and Post-Disaster Community Recovery
This paper examines how social capital aids in post-disaster community recovery and redevelopment. While previous studies on social capital and post-disaster recovery have tended to focus on social networks as a source of necessary assistance, the primary focus of this study is on how social capital in the form of collective narratives affects post-disaster recovery. We argue that collective narratives can shape the recovery strategies that indiv…
Bay Street as Contested Space
Bay Street, the main thoroughfare in Nassau, The Bahamas’ capital city, is a storehouse for much of that country’s social memory. It has been the stage for some of the most significant events in The Bahamas’ history and continues to be at the center of Bahamian cultural, economic, and political life. Understandably, Bay Street has also been a contested space. This article discusses the contested nature of Bay Street using the 1942 riot, a key eve…
Post-disaster Community Recovery in Heterogeneous, Loosely Connected Communities
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on 29 August 2005, leaving a great deal of destruction, pain, and uncertainty in its wake. Post-disaster community rebound is a collective action problem where every individual's decision to rebuild is impacted by the likelihood that others in the community will rebuild. The literature on post-disaster recovery suggests that homogenous, tight-knit communities will have an advantage over more diverse, less-conn…
Understanding the Culture of Markets
How does culture impact economic life? Is culture like a ball and chain that actors must lug around as they pursue their material interests? Or, is culture like a tool-kit from which entrepreneurs can draw resources to aid them in their efforts? Or, is being immersed in a culture like wearing a pair of blinders? Or, is culture like wearing a pair of glasses with tinted lenses? Understanding the Culture of Markets explores how culture shapes econo…
Commercial Relationships and Spaces after Disaster
Social Economy as an Extension of the Austrian Research Program
Contemporary Austrian scholars have attempted to develop a research program in social economy (including a focus on mental models, generalized norms, social networks, and culture) to complement the school’s already well-developed research program in political economy. Rather than settling on a single approach or adopting a single perspective, however, they have pursued a number of different strategies. As a result, Austrian contributions to under…
Contemporary Austrian Economics and the New Economic Sociology
Contemporary Austrian economics and the new economic sociology have much in common. First, they share intellectual influences, especially Max Weber. Second, they offer similar critiques of neoclassical economics, and both stress the importance of Verstehen. Third, they have complementary conceptions of rational action and of the role of social institutions in shaping rational action. Specifically, these schools agree on a number of key theoretica…
Community Revival in the Wake of Disaster
Rebounding after disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods can be daunting. Communities must have residents who can not only gain access to the resources that they need to rebuild b
The Impartial Spectator and the Moral Teachings of Markets
Market skeptics have persuasively argued that the market is a social arena that is not simply amoral but that has negative moral consequences. Market apologists have offered two basic responses to this kind of charge: that the market is amoral, and that it transforms private vice into public virtue. This chapter discusses the moral teachings of the market—that is, the moral sentiments individuals are likely to acquire and develop as they engage i…
The Austrian and Bloomington Schools of Political Economy
Prelims -- ABC-Austria, Bloomington, Chicago: political economy the Ostrom Way -- The Ostroms and Hayek as theorists of complex adaptive systems: commonality and complementarity -- A practical approach to understanding: the possibilities and limitations of applied work in political economy -- The organizational evolution of the American National Red Cross: an Austrian and Bloomington approach to organizational growth and expansion -- Covenant and…
Austrian and Bloomington Schools of Political Economy
Polycentric orders and post-disaster recovery
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States on 29 October 2012, flooding hundreds of thousands of homes and costing over $50 billion in property damage. After Hurricane Sandy residents and communities required food, water and clothing, and in the weeks and months following, there was demand for cleaning supplies, building materials and contracting services. Polycentric orders, because of their flexibility and access to local knowledge…
Ludwig Lachmann’s peculiar status within Austrian economics
Schumpeter, Socialism, and Irony
Schumpeter’s theory of socialism pivots on his response to Ludwig von Mises’s claim that rational economic calculation is “impossible” in a socialist economy. Mises held that because socialism eliminates market prices for the means of production, it is impossible under socialism to know the relative scarcities of productive inputs, and thus to determine rationally which of any number of technologically feasible production projects to pursue. Schu…
Adam Smith and the Study of Ethics in a Commercial Society
Over time, the fields of economics and ethics have become more distinct with economics focusing on the rationality of actors, the incentives they face, and the outcomes of interacting within an amoral market setting. However, in the real world, economics and ethics are more interconnected. Humans are social and ethical beings regardless of setting. Recent studies have shown that individuals reward trustworthiness, punish dishonesty, and can devel…
A culture of rent seeking
Max Weber on the Market's Impersonality and Ethic
Market exchange is often depicted as devoid of traditional feelings of community, and perhaps as being destructive of those feelings. Max Weber's ideal typification of the market is one particularly clear exposition of this perspective on market activity. In the context of Weber's broader contributions to an understanding of social life, however, this impersonal ideal type seems inconsistently applied. This paper examines this internal tension re…
Political science (29 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Law (22 works) · Economics (20 works) · Disaster Management and Resilience (13 works) · Geography (12 works) · Social science (12 works) · Positive economics (11 works) · Neoclassical economics (10 works) · Politics (10 works)