Economic sociologists who study housing try to understand how economic forces impact where we choose to live, which houses we choose to buy, how we decide what homes are worth, how housing markets are created and maintained, and who is included and excluded from buying homes. Rather than viewing home-buying and selling as purely rational practices, economic sociologists examine how social relationships impact the decisions we make about homes and housing. Scholars who study housing from an economic sociological lens pay close attention to the role of race and racism in shaping housing (in particular, who gets to buy which homes and how the prices of homes are determined). Overall, scholars who use economic sociology to study housing provide unique insight into the importance of social relationships in shaping home valuation, housing markets, and housing policy.