Money Out of Nothing: Online Courses for Achieving Success as Credence Goods

Abstract: 
This paper analyses the phenomenon of money success courses as credence goods. The popularity of these info-products coexists with the lack of criteria for assessing their effectiveness, which actualises the issue of trust formation to such goods. Based on the analysis of 21 interviews, we described the social mechanism of formation of trust before, during and after taking courses on achieving monetary success. The analysis revealed the main motivations for participating in online money success courses, the reasons for choosing a particular online course, and explored the role of the social environment, course sellers, participant community and feedback in trust formation. The structure of the interaction between participants and sellers was also considered. Finally, the determination of participants’ performances was revealed. It is concluded that there is a complex interconnection of factors influencing trust formation at each of the stages.

Keywords:

doi: 

10.25990/socinstras.pss-23.9wrq-jv65

For citation: Galimzyanova K.T., Dudko M.I., Shternova M.B., Vishnevskaya M.V. Money Out of Nothing: Online Courses for Achieving Success as Credence Goods. St. Petersburg Sociology Today. 2024. N. 23. P. 57-76. DOI:10.25990/socinstras.pss-23.9wrq-jv65

edn: 
NLJCNG
File: 
PDF icon 2023-23-03.pdf
References: 
  • Darby M. R., Karni E. Free Competition and the Optimal Amount of Fraud. The Journal of Law & Economics, 1973, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 67-88.
  • Denezhnoye myshleniye s Robertom Oksuzyanom [Money Thinking with Robert Oksuzyan] (RobertOksuzyan). URL: https://robert-oksuzyan.ru/money (access date: 03.10.2023). (In Russ.)
  • George M. Seeking legitimacy: The professionalization of life coaching. Sociological Inquiry, 2013, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 179-208.
  • Gofman A. B. Moda i lyudi: novaya teoriya mody i modnogo povedeniya [Fashion and people: new theory of fashion and fashionable behaviour]. Nauka, Moscow, 1994, 160 p. (In Russ.)
  • Gorshkov M. K. et al. Rossiyskoye obshchestvo i vyzovy vremeni. Kniga tretia [Russian society and challenges of the time. Book Three], ed. by M. К. Gorshkov, N. E. Tikhonova. Ves Mir, Moscow, 2016, 424 p. (In Russ.)
  • Grant A. M. The impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition and mental health. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 2003, vol. 31, no 3, pp. 253-264.
  • Ionin L. G. Novaya magicheskaya epokha [New magical era]. Logos, 2005, vol. 50, no. 5, pp. 23-40. (In Russ.)
  • Issledovaniye rossiyskogo rynka onlayn-obrazovaniya [Research of the Russian online education market] (Netology, TalentTech, Edmarket). URL: https://innoagency.ru/files/ Issledovanie_rynka_rossiyskogo_online_obrazovania_2020.pdf (access date: 03.10.2023). (In Russ.)
  • Malinowski B. K. Magiya, nauka i religiya [Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays], transl. from Eng. by A. P. Khomik. Academic project, Moscow, 2015, 298 p. (In Russ.)
  • Makinen K. The individualization of class: a case of working life coaching. The Sociological Review, 2014, vol. 62, pp. 821-842.
  • Nelson P. Information and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Political Economy, 1970, vol. 78, no 2, pp. 311-329.
  • Pagis M. Fashioning futures: Life coaching and the Self-Made identity paradox. Sociological Forum, 2016, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1083-1103.
  • Rynok onlayn-obrazovaniya ezhegodno rastet na 60% — issledovaniye YuKassa i Netologii [The online education market is growing by 60% annually — UCassa and Netology Research] (YooMoney). URL: https://yoomoney.ru/page?id=529525 (access date: 03.10.2023). (In Russ.)
  • Stark S., Pais I. Algoritmicheskoye upravleniye v ekonomike platform [Algorithmic Management in the Platform Economy]. Ekonomicheskaya sotsiologiya, 2021, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 71-103. (In Russ.)
  • Steinberg I. E. (ed.) [et al.]. Kachestvennyye metody. Polevyye sotsiologicheskiye issledovaniya [Qualitative methods. Field sociological research]. Aleteya, Saint-Petersburg, 2009, 352 p. (In Russ.)
  • Sztompka P. Doveriye — osnova obshchestva [Trust is the foundation of society], transl. from Pol. N. V. Morozova. Logos, Moscow, 2012, 445 p. (In Russ.)
  • Veblen T. Teoriyaprazdnogo klassa [The Theory of the Leisure Class]. Progress, Moscow, 1984, 334 p. (In Russ.)
  • Veselov Yu. V. Doveriye v tsifrovom obshchestve [Trust in a digital society]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Sotsiologiya, 2020, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 129-143. DOI: 10.21638/spbu12.2020.202. (In Russ.)
  • Weber M. Tipy gospodstva [Types of Authority], transl. from Deutsch by A. B. Rakhmanova. Identity. Culture. Society, 2020, vol. 10, no. 5-6, pp. 22-36. (In Russ.)
  • Zimmel G. Moda. Izbrannoye. [Fashion. Selected.]. Vol. 2. Sozertsaniye zhizni, transl. by M. I. Levina. Yurist, Moscow, 1996, pp. 266-291. (In Russ.)
  • Русский