Sociologia econômica, a teoria das convenções e o funcionamento dos mercados: "inputs" para analisar os micro e pequenos empreendimentos agroindustriais no Brasil
- Authors
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John Wilkinson
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- Keywords:
- Pequenas e médias empresas, Agroindústria, Sociologia econômica
- Abstract
- In this article, we show how economic sociology and the theory of conventions contribute to an understanding of the dynamism of micro and small-scale (MSE) agrofood activitiesnot only in their traditional markets but also in their reorientation to "specific quality" markets. We consider first, Granovetter's concept of the "embeddedness" of economic action in social relations, distinguishing this from the notion of "social construction" which implies a redirectioning of economic action in the light of new values, interests and knowledge. We then introduce the concepts, also developed by Granovetter, of the extended social network and the "strength of weak ties" to understand how more distant markets can also be supported through social networks. The reorientation of MSE's, however, to quality markets has to rely on mechanisms which go beyond those provided by social networks. In the second part of the article, we show how the "actor-network" and convention theories provide key analytical concepts for understanding how not only commodity but also artesan markets are able to function at a distance on the basis of norms and standards which makes them autonomous in relations to their social networks of origin.
- Downloads
- Issue
- Vol. 23 No. 2 (2002)
- Section
- Artigos
- License
- A remessa dos artigos à revista implica a cessão dos direitos autorais à FEE.