Rites of Passage: Constructing Quality in a Commodity Subsector
- 1 January 1996
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Science, Technology, & Human Values
- Vol. 21 (1) , 3-27
- https://doi.org/10.1177/016224399602100101
Abstract
This article extends the concept of symmetry to ethics. Using the case of canola in Canada, the authors argue that grades and standards simultaneously subject humans and nonhumans to rites of passage that test their "goodness. " Then, they further develop a tentative typology of standards. The authors argue that these standards allow something resembling the neoclassical market to be established, create the conditions for economic analysis, and allocate power among human actors.Keywords
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