REGULAR ARTICLE Mainstream Economics and Sense-Making Sergio Salvatore & Guglielmo Forges Davanzati & Silvia Potì & Ruggero Ruggieri Published online: 7 January 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008 Abstract This work presents a semiotic approach to the economy, underlining that any economic phenomena is at the same time a communicative act as it is contingent to sense-making.The article discusses this topic by focusing on a specific phenomenon studied by economics: the underground economy. It shows that the conceptualization of the underground economy in terms of sense-making processes offers a thought-provoking perspective for theoretical development. More in general, the discussion proposed makes it clear that in order to deepen our vision of economic phenomena in a more thoughtful and realistic way we need to rethink these phenomena as being reciprocally and circularly embedded in the semiotic flow of life. The economy is within sense-making and it is shaped by it; at the same time sense-making is within the economy, as its semiotic substance. Keywords Cultural psychology of economy . Sense-making . Underground economy Mildred has planned to go away for a few days’ vacation. She asks Daisy, a neighbor of hers, to come and take care of the three children for the period. Mildred knows Daisy pretty well, having already looked after the children on other occasions. She is happy with how familiar the children are with her. And Mildred feels Daisy is somehow a member of the family too. Integr Psych Behav (2009) 43:158–177 DOI 10.1007/s12124-008-9084-5 S. Salvatore Department of Educational, Psychological and Teaching Science, Via Stampacchia, 45, 73100 Lecce, Italy S. Salvatore (*) : G. F. Davanzati : S. Potì University of Salento, Lecce, Italy e-mail: sergio.salvatore@ateneo.unile.it R. Ruggieri University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy