Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming

Autores
Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo; Easdale, Marcos Horacio; Crovetto, Maria Marcela
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The interaction between farmers and rural contractors enhances the efficiency of agricultural processes. The seasonality of agricultural activities concentrates rural contractors work during specific time windows and requires detailed scheduling. In this article, we propose a socio-technical network perspective to study the shearing processes on wool production in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. We analysed the functioning of socio-technical shearing networks (STSN), consisting of farmers and shearing contractors, throughout the development of their work schedules. Data were collected from wool shearing records and semi-structured interviews with shearing contractors, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize the STSN. The analysis of STSN highlighted two main socio-technical configurations based on shearing capacity and farm production scale. The first corresponded to shearing contractors with lower shearing capacities and a higher proportion of small-scale sheep farming farms, developing shearing schedules with lower work volumes. The second consisted of shearing contractors with higher shearing capacities and sheep farming farms of varying production scales, developing shearing schedules with higher work volumes. However, similar socio-technical configurations did not always result in identical functioning. While some prioritised efficiency by maximizing work volume in fewer farms with shorter travel times, others adapted to wider temporal and geographical scopes. This highlights the complex interplay between socio-technical configurations and performance outcomes in scheduling implementation. It reflects different underlying economic and work strategies in applying technological practices within specific social and environmental contexts. STSN illustrated how harvesting processes can be understood through a more complex perspective than mere practice, integrating social actors during technology application.
EEA Bariloche
Fil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani. Área Estudios Rurales; Argentina
Fil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fuente
Journal of Rural Studies 119 : 103747. (October 2025)
Materia
Ovinos
Esquileo
Desarrollo Rural
Adopción de Tecnología
Sheep
Shearing
Rural Development
Technology Adoption
Región Patagónica
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/23072
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/23072
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spelling Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farmingGonzalez, Ezequiel BernardoEasdale, Marcos HoracioCrovetto, Maria MarcelaOvinosEsquileoDesarrollo RuralAdopción de TecnologíaSheepShearingRural DevelopmentTechnology AdoptionRegión PatagónicaThe interaction between farmers and rural contractors enhances the efficiency of agricultural processes. The seasonality of agricultural activities concentrates rural contractors work during specific time windows and requires detailed scheduling. In this article, we propose a socio-technical network perspective to study the shearing processes on wool production in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. We analysed the functioning of socio-technical shearing networks (STSN), consisting of farmers and shearing contractors, throughout the development of their work schedules. Data were collected from wool shearing records and semi-structured interviews with shearing contractors, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize the STSN. The analysis of STSN highlighted two main socio-technical configurations based on shearing capacity and farm production scale. The first corresponded to shearing contractors with lower shearing capacities and a higher proportion of small-scale sheep farming farms, developing shearing schedules with lower work volumes. The second consisted of shearing contractors with higher shearing capacities and sheep farming farms of varying production scales, developing shearing schedules with higher work volumes. However, similar socio-technical configurations did not always result in identical functioning. While some prioritised efficiency by maximizing work volume in fewer farms with shorter travel times, others adapted to wider temporal and geographical scopes. This highlights the complex interplay between socio-technical configurations and performance outcomes in scheduling implementation. It reflects different underlying economic and work strategies in applying technological practices within specific social and environmental contexts. STSN illustrated how harvesting processes can be understood through a more complex perspective than mere practice, integrating social actors during technology application.EEA BarilocheFil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani. Área Estudios Rurales; ArgentinaFil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaElsevier2025-07-18T11:22:23Z2025-07-18T11:22:23Z2025-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23072https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07430167250018710743-01671873-1392https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103747Journal of Rural Studies 119 : 103747. (October 2025)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2025-10-16T09:32:24Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/23072instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2025-10-16 09:32:25.397INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
title Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
spellingShingle Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo
Ovinos
Esquileo
Desarrollo Rural
Adopción de Tecnología
Sheep
Shearing
Rural Development
Technology Adoption
Región Patagónica
title_short Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
title_full Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
title_fullStr Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
title_full_unstemmed Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
title_sort Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo
Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Crovetto, Maria Marcela
author Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo
author_facet Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo
Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Crovetto, Maria Marcela
author_role author
author2 Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Crovetto, Maria Marcela
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ovinos
Esquileo
Desarrollo Rural
Adopción de Tecnología
Sheep
Shearing
Rural Development
Technology Adoption
Región Patagónica
topic Ovinos
Esquileo
Desarrollo Rural
Adopción de Tecnología
Sheep
Shearing
Rural Development
Technology Adoption
Región Patagónica
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The interaction between farmers and rural contractors enhances the efficiency of agricultural processes. The seasonality of agricultural activities concentrates rural contractors work during specific time windows and requires detailed scheduling. In this article, we propose a socio-technical network perspective to study the shearing processes on wool production in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. We analysed the functioning of socio-technical shearing networks (STSN), consisting of farmers and shearing contractors, throughout the development of their work schedules. Data were collected from wool shearing records and semi-structured interviews with shearing contractors, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize the STSN. The analysis of STSN highlighted two main socio-technical configurations based on shearing capacity and farm production scale. The first corresponded to shearing contractors with lower shearing capacities and a higher proportion of small-scale sheep farming farms, developing shearing schedules with lower work volumes. The second consisted of shearing contractors with higher shearing capacities and sheep farming farms of varying production scales, developing shearing schedules with higher work volumes. However, similar socio-technical configurations did not always result in identical functioning. While some prioritised efficiency by maximizing work volume in fewer farms with shorter travel times, others adapted to wider temporal and geographical scopes. This highlights the complex interplay between socio-technical configurations and performance outcomes in scheduling implementation. It reflects different underlying economic and work strategies in applying technological practices within specific social and environmental contexts. STSN illustrated how harvesting processes can be understood through a more complex perspective than mere practice, integrating social actors during technology application.
EEA Bariloche
Fil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani. Área Estudios Rurales; Argentina
Fil: Crovetto, Maria Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
description The interaction between farmers and rural contractors enhances the efficiency of agricultural processes. The seasonality of agricultural activities concentrates rural contractors work during specific time windows and requires detailed scheduling. In this article, we propose a socio-technical network perspective to study the shearing processes on wool production in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. We analysed the functioning of socio-technical shearing networks (STSN), consisting of farmers and shearing contractors, throughout the development of their work schedules. Data were collected from wool shearing records and semi-structured interviews with shearing contractors, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize the STSN. The analysis of STSN highlighted two main socio-technical configurations based on shearing capacity and farm production scale. The first corresponded to shearing contractors with lower shearing capacities and a higher proportion of small-scale sheep farming farms, developing shearing schedules with lower work volumes. The second consisted of shearing contractors with higher shearing capacities and sheep farming farms of varying production scales, developing shearing schedules with higher work volumes. However, similar socio-technical configurations did not always result in identical functioning. While some prioritised efficiency by maximizing work volume in fewer farms with shorter travel times, others adapted to wider temporal and geographical scopes. This highlights the complex interplay between socio-technical configurations and performance outcomes in scheduling implementation. It reflects different underlying economic and work strategies in applying technological practices within specific social and environmental contexts. STSN illustrated how harvesting processes can be understood through a more complex perspective than mere practice, integrating social actors during technology application.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-07-18T11:22:23Z
2025-07-18T11:22:23Z
2025-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23072
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0743016725001871
0743-0167
1873-1392
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103747
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23072
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0743016725001871
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103747
identifier_str_mv 0743-0167
1873-1392
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv restrictedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Journal of Rural Studies 119 : 103747. (October 2025)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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