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Free keywords:
Clusters of order, hybrid social order, illegal markets, informality, legitimacy, patrimonialism, social order, state
Abstract:
By moving away from dualistic perspectives that see social order as the product of strong
states but not weak states, this article develops a conceptual framework for interpreting
hybrid social orders, i.e. those established by both legal and extra-legal actors. The initial
premise is that hybrid forms of social domination resulting from the interaction between
legal and extra-legal actors, and regulated by a combination of rational bureaucratic and
neo-patrimonial rules, produce relevant economic and political outcomes such as job
creation, the supply of basic services and the production of authority. Especially in contexts
of continuous economic crisis, ethnic segregation, social marginalization and persistent
inequality, these outcomes have ordering effects both in terms of reducing uncertainty
and regulating social expectations. Furthermore, in such social contexts, socially tolerated
illegal markets play a decisive role. Supported by recent and innovative research, this
article concludes with hypotheses intended to promote further research.
