From Micro-Level Exchanges to Meso- and Macro-Level Structures

Abstract

This chapter builds on the foundation previously established by drawing on Peter Blau’s and James Coleman’s perspectives for linking micro-level exchange processes with macro-level organizational and institutional structures. In Blau’s perspective, inequalities in power that emerge from imbalanced exchanges serve as the bridge for macro structures. In Coleman’s perspective, meso or macro level corporate actors are intentionally created to achieve goals that are difficult or impossible for individuals to accomplish on their own or through market transactions. For both theorists, the development of meso or macro structures has a major influence on the terms of exchange that individuals are able to establish at the micro level.