Patrons, Clients and Friends: Interpersonal Relations and the Structure of Trust in Society (Themes in the Social Sciences) (Paperback)

by S. N. Eisenstadt (Author), Luis Roniger (Author) "This book is about some special types of interpersonal relations - above all about friendship, ritual personal and patron-client relationships-and their connections to the institutional..." (more)
Key Phrases: clientelistic societies, oppositionary movements, major institutional markets, Latin America, Middle East, Second World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The form of social relations described by the terms 'patronage' and 'patron-client relations' is of central concern to sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists today. Characterised by its voluntary and highly personal but often fully institutionalised nature, it is a type of behaviour found in almost every human society. It touches upon basic aspects of the construction and regulation of social order and is therefore closely connected to major theoretical problems and controversies in the social sciences. This book analyses some special types of these interpersonal relations - ritual kinship, patron-client relations and friendship - and the social conditions in which they develop. The authors draw upon a wide range of examples, from societies as diverse as these of the Mediterranean, Latin America, the Middle and Far East and the U.S.S.R., in their study of the core characteristics of such relationships. They look at them as mechanisms of social exchange, examine their impact on the institutional structures in which they exist, and assess the significance of the variations in their occurrence. Their analysis highlights the importance of these relationships in social life and concludes with a stimulating discussion of the ensuring tensions and ambivalences and the ways in which these are dealt with - though perhaps never fully overcome. Patrons, clients and friends is the first systematic comparative study of these interpersonal relations and makes the first attempt to relate them to central aspects of social structure. It will therefore be an important contribution to both comparative analysis and social theory and will be of interest to a wide range of social scientists.

Book Description
The analysis, of several types of interpersonal relations of central concern to social scientists, draws on a wide range of examples from diverse societies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 30, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521288908
• ISBN-13: 978-0521288903
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,545,567 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for understanding patronage, December 7, 2001

By	"sofiia" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Like it or love it, you cannot avoid this book. If you are studying patron-client based systems, if you wonder what causes patronage or "political machines" in this country or anywhere in the world, you must start with this book. Has been out of print and has fortunately been reissued, because this is just a classic. Don't expect light, easy reading, however, or a friendly conversational style. This is academic writing at its best. The authors use examples from all over the world, and while some of the wording (about the communist systems) is out of date, their analysis is not.