Viviana A. Zelizer is the Lloyd Cotsen ‘50 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, where she has taught since 1988. Her work bridges economic sociology and cultural analysis, focusing on the intersections of money, social relations, and moral values. She is renowned for studies on life insurance, childhood valuation, and the socio-cultural dimensions of money. Key contributions include The Social Meaning of Money (1994), Pricing the Priceless Child (1985), and The Purchase of Intimacy (2005). Current research explores cross-class economic transactions among Princeton undergraduates with Lauren Gaydosh. Her research interests span economic ethics, consumption practices, and the cultural shaping of economic behavior. Awards include the 2023 ASA Lifetime Achievement Award. Upcoming events include a Paris conference (Jan 23, 2025) honoring her work and a UT-Austin workshop on global money studies. She has authored/co-edited over 20 books, including Money Talks (2017) and a forthcoming French translation of Fixing the Monetary Value of Children (2024). Recent articles address money’s role in power dynamics, gender relations, and socio-economic crises. Her work challenges simplistic market vs. intimate divides, showing how economic practices sustain social bonds.








