This article analyses the consequences of the "methanol wine scandal" on the wine production market of Piedmont. Contrariwise to what is usually claimed, these consequences where not the direct result of the scandal, but emerged only when a change in the institutional configuration of the market came about. The paper illustrates how the institutional change following the scandal triggered the quality turn of the wine production market in Piedmont. The key processes at the root of this change are depicted in terms of quality conventions as coordination mechanisms embedded in the institutional context. The first part of the paper outlines the conceptual coordinates concerning the "social construction" of quality. Afterwards both the general and regional trends toward the quality production in the national and local wine sector are summarized. Then "the methanol wine scandal" and its institutional consequences are illustrated.Finally, to appreciate the current organization of the local production market and of the quality conventions among wine producers, findings from interviews with local entrepreneurs are reported.
This article presents the main features and objectives of the so-called «social mechanisms based explanation» or «analytical sociology». This perspective has gained quite considerable attention in contemporary debate, both for its theoretical novelty as well as for its empirical results. In the first part of the article I describe the key concepts, main scholars and institutional strengths of this approach. In the second part, I clarify the relationships between the analytical sociology perspective and the main trends in contemporary sociology, both theoretical and empirical. In the third part, three core principles of the approach are outlined: the idea of causal process, the relevance of multilevel theory and the prominence of formal theories and models. Key words: analytical sociology, explanation, methodological individualism, emergent effects, theory and research.
Resumen. ¿Ha nacido una estrella? Autores, principios y objetivos de la sociología analíticaEste artículo presenta los principales rasgos y objetivos de la así llamada «explicación basada en mecanismos sociales» o «sociología analítica». Esta perspectiva ha ganado considerable atención en los debates contemporáneos, tanto por su novedad teórica como por sus resultados empíricos. En la primera parte del artículo se pasa revista a los conceptos centrales, los principales estudiosos y los pilares institucionales de este enfoque. En la segunda parte, se clarifican las relaciones entre la perspectiva de la sociología analítica y las principales corrientes de la sociología contemporánea, tanto teóricas como empíricas. En la tercera parte, se esquematizan tres principios básicos del enfoque: la idea de procesos causales, la relevancia de la teoría multi-nivel, y la preeminencia de las teorías y modelos formales. Palabras clave: sociología analítica, explicación, individualismo metodológico, efectos emergentes, teoría e investigación.
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