Otten discusses how privatization in the early 2000’s has affected grape growers and vineyards in Macedonia. Neoliberal policies have widened the gap between big and small growers and creating what growers call the “wine mafia”. The close connection between powerful wineries and businesses and the government has to many purposes shifted the role of government from serving the public to serving private interests. Because of this kin relations of rural Macedonians have changed to account for and deal with the absense of government protection. Otten describes the practice vrski and how small growers use gift reciprocity to cement relations and lines of support, which allows them to use unpaid family labor to get through the busy harvest season and deal with lack of technologies or insurance. In this way a sort of microeconomy exists.
The kin-based economy contradicts the assumptions of neoliberal ideology that private property and individual maximization drive economies. Here it is clear that family relations are often the best way to survive financially. Not only that but neoliberal policy has in fact strengthened these systems. Clearly the economy cannot be disembedded from society. This has implications for agricultural policies as any changes will necessarily have an effect on existing social structures, for better or worse. For rural Macedonians these kin relations have many positives, though as Otten points out there does exist inequality of another sort as some people more than others have strong family ties. Government still has a place and should not assume people will be able to rely on kin-relations.
- Otten, Justin M. “Accession and association: The effects of European integration and neoliberalism on rising inequality and kin‐neighbor reciprocity in the Republic of Macedonia.” Economic Anthropology 2.2 (2015): 359-370.