Trading Conditions in Marketplaces

In everday language, the terms "markets" and "marketplaces" refer to two arenas of trade. Marketplaces have been central places of trade for thousands of years, once located in the heart of cities. These centres not only facilitated economic transactions but also served as vibrant meeting points for social interaction, political discourse and cultural exchange. In today's global economy, trade has changed significantly. Many transactions are now conducted online, rather than in physical locations.

This project examines how trade functions in marketplaces - both analogue and online. Despite the prevalence of modern markets and online trade, a historical connection between traditional marketplaces and contemporary digital marketplaces is still presumed.

A key premise of the project is to understand digital commerce as online marketplaces. While marketplaces are organised, not all processes within them are the result of conscious organisation. Much is created through interaction, in the form of practices, norms and rituals that emerge in the context of trade.

The project draws on economic sociology of markets and marketplaces as well as sociological organization theory to form a novel approach to understand both contemporary digital marketplaces as well as physical marketplaces. Trading conditions set the terms for how trade is conducted, and for what can be traded. The project will analyze the specific trading conditions of marketplaces, including the rules of trade, rules of membership, trading standards, trading fees, rating systems, trading cultures and practices, and social ties among actors. A wide variety of marketplaces are analysed using mainly qualitative methods.

As part of the project the Oxford Handbook of Marketplaces is edited by the project team. The collection brings together a wide range of perspectives on digital and analogue marketplaces and is published by Oxford University Press.

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