Social relations in lieu of capital

Abstract

An analysis of urban work relationships in Dakar (Senegal) turns almost automatically into an analysis of social networks because of the system of relational actions and strategies that forms around the figure of the worker. The observation of the daily routine of any of Dakar's micro-businesses reveals the broad interference that exists between networks of family, alliance, and client relations. The logic of gift giving coexists with a market economy; social relations are often used in place of capital, and wages for the social players are often paid with wage embryos or token salaries.

Citation

Repetti, M. (2002), "Social relations in lieu of capital", Research in Economic Anthropology (Research in Economic Anthropology, Vol. 21), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 43-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-1281(02)21003-3