Household Exchange Networks in Post-Socialist Slovakia

This article describes the exchange networks among extended families in Slovakia, the rights and duties of those involved in them, and their importance to these families and the Slovak economy. Special emphasis is placed on delimiting the conditions under which these networks arise and how they function. These exchange networks are best described as what institutional economist Oliver Williamson calls a hybrid organization, having some of the characteristics of both markets and firms. Examination of these networks, I believe, expands our understanding of production and exchange in contemporary rural societies in newly emerging market systems.