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Abstract

This paper presents convaluation as a form of social coordination. A Convaluation is a partial social order that is based on evaluation in which identities are formed. Order refers to the predictability of the world, and identity of humans to the question of who one is. Convaluation is a more general form of social coordination than markets, and it is argued that convaluation should be seen in relation to the two other basic forms, hierarchy and network. Convaluations capture how evaluations play a central role in identity formation processes. Convaluations are constituted by value, social structure, culture and identities. The paper presents six forms of convaluations that can be used for understanding empirical cases. The paper also makes two interrelated contributions. The first is the discussion of formation of identities in processes of evaluation, and the second is the idea of the partial order of convaluations.