Ricardo Abramovay

Ricardo Abramovay
Born	1953 Brazil
Occupation(s)	Sociologist, political scientist, university professor
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Contributions to social sciences, sociology of markets, digital economy and data ethics

Ricardo Abramovay (born 1953) is a Brazilian sociologist, political scientist, and university professor known for his contributions to social sciences.

Biography

Abramovay was born in 1953 and completed his undergraduate degree in Philosophy at the Université de Paris X in France in 1974. He went on to obtain a master's degree in Political Science from the University of São Paulo, followed by a doctorate in Sociology at the University of Campinas. His doctoral thesis was honored with the Best Thesis award by the Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs and Research in Social Sciences (Anpocs) in 1991.

During the 1990s, he undertook postdoctoral research in France, specializing in agricultural sociology at institutions including CIRAD, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, and Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

In 1995, Abramovay completed a two-year program at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques and collaborated with Ignacy Sachs on studies concerning rural development and the role of agriculture.

He has taught for over three decades at the School of Economics, Business and Accounting at the University of São Paulo, promoting an economic perspective that incorporates ethical considerations, environmental sustainability, and social dimensions.

Peasantry and agrarian capitalism

In 1991, Abramovay presented his doctoral thesis titled "Paradigms of agrarian capitalism in question," which received the "Best Doctoral Thesis" distinction at the VII University Thesis and Scientific Works Competition. He posits that in developed nations agriculture is predominantly organized around family-run farms. This pattern is evident both in countries with recent colonial histories such as the United States and Canada, as well as in regions with deep-rooted peasant traditions like Continental Europe. These millions of productive agricultural units function within frameworks regulated by state policies and professional associations. Abramovay emphasizes: "Although based on individual ownership, it is challenging to envision a more socially integrated economic activity." Highlighting Karl Marx's lack of a dedicated agrarian theory, he examines scholars who analyze the dynamics of this unique entity known as the peasant unit. According to Abramovay, peasantry relies heavily on social connections derived from tradition, communal bonds, personalized relationships, and only partial engagement with market forces. Utilizing concepts from economic sociology, he argues that expanding capitalist influence and market predominance gradually erode these community ties, thereby threatening the social continuity essential for peasant livelihoods.

Sociology of markets

During the 1990s, Abramovay contributed to rural sociology by investigating sustainable farming practices, the social capital embedded in territories, and alternative agricultural marketplaces through the lens of social network analysis. Entering the 2000s, his research pivoted towards examining various market organizational models, the influence of civil society in fostering local development, discourse surrounding corporate environmental responsibility, and adopting a methodological approach that interprets markets as social phenomena.

Abramovay stresses that contemporary economic sociology approaches markets not as abstract entities governed by equilibrium but as socially constructed arenas characterized by conflicts, interdependencies, institutional frameworks, and inherent uncertainties—offering a clear departure from Walrasian general equilibrium theory. Echoing Stefano Zamagni’s perspective, he conceptualizes markets as evolving social interactions grounded in continuous processes of mutual recognition and exchange.

In his capacity as a professor at the University of São Paulo, Abramovay has actively promoted the intellectual contributions of Harrison White, Mark Granovetter, Richard Swedberg, and scholars aligned with the tradition established by Karl Polanyi.

Digital economy and data ethics

Since 2015, Ricardo Abramovay’s scholarship has focused on how digital transformation influences economic structures and societal dynamics. His notion of the "hybrid economy of the 21st century" highlights the Internet-driven economy’s role in redefining productive systems alongside the knowledge economy, resulting in novel market configurations.

In 2018, Abramovay established the Center for Ethics, Technology and Digital Economies within the University of São Paulo’s Institute of Energy and Environment. This interdisciplinary hub convenes students from various academic backgrounds to explore the convergence of these fields.

The year 2019 saw Abramovay collaborate with activist-lawyer Rafael Zanatta to publish essays examining issues such as data exploitation, digital addiction, and competitive practices within online markets. Their analysis reveals how platform architectures are designed to capture user attention persistently to optimize value extraction from personal data. They advocate for updating antitrust frameworks to address economic behavior manipulation and profile-based price discrimination. Furthermore, they propose recognizing personal data as a collective economic resource and advancing economic democracy through data-sharing models inspired by thinkers like Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Jaron Lanier.

Selected works

• Author of Far Beyond the Green Economy (Muito Além da Economia Verde) (Ed. Sustainable Planet, SP, 2012) (English edition)
• Co-author of Zero Waste: Solid Waste Management for a More Prosperous Society (Lixo Zero: Gestão de Resíduos Sólidos para uma Sociedade Mais Próspera)