Provisonal Research Statement (3/29/96)
Please send any questions, comments or suggestions to: Amy Todd, Brandeis University, Department of Anthropology, Brown 228, Waltham, MA 02254-9110
E-mail: atodd@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
provided by OPENAIR-MARKET NET
Beginning in the Fall of 1996, I will spend approximately one year conducting dissertation fieldwork on the regulation of marketplaces in Oaxaca, Mexico.
In complex economies, where people rarely sell what they produce, marketplaces serve as a link between producers and consumers, and thus as a means of provisioning populations. Marketplaces also provide employment for producers, vendors, and those involved in activities related to vending.
A number of studies of marketplaces have been conducted by researchers in geography, public policy, economics and anthropology. In all cases, vending is regulated, meaning there are rules governing when and where one may vend, what may be vended, how prices are established, how quantities are measured, and how peace is maintained in the marketplace. These regulations affect the availability of goods to consumers as well as employment opportunities for those involved in the distribution of goods.
Despite the fact that regulation influences the dynamics of marketplaces, my review of the literature has revealed no systematic fieldwork studies that take regulation as a primary focus. Marketplace studies have focussed on vendors and, to a lesser extent, on consumers. Although regulation provides the context within which these individuals must operate, regulation has been considered only tangentially, and usually from the point of view of the vendors.
During the past year, in preparation for my dissertation fieldwork on markets in Mexico, I have conducted fieldwork on farmers' markets in the United States. I have spoken with vendors and local market administrators as well as state and private administrators of regional market systems. My research has revealed complex and varied forms of marketplace regulation. The rules regulating entry into the market and the goods that may be vended are not consistent across markets. At times, local level regulation conflicts with state and federal laws. My data on farmers' markets provides solid evidence for the complexity of marketplace regulation in the United States.
For my dissertation research, I plan to investigate the same problem in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Oaxaca market system is suitable for study because there is a history of fieldwork upon which to build. From the 1940s through the 1970s, a series of researchers investigated aspects of the Oaxaca market system, from production to distribution. Although there are scattered references in the literature to regulation, there have been no systematic studies focussing on the regulation of Oaxacan markets. My proposed research will, therefore, contribute to filling a significant gap in the literature.
During the month of April, 1996, I will be conducting preliminary fieldwork in Oaxaca to familiarize myself with the marketplaces in the area, make contacts with researchers currently working in Oaxaca, and introduce myself to marketplace administrators. In the Fall of 1996, I will return to Oaxaca for approximately one year to conduct dissertation fieldwork on marketplace regulation.
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