Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming
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...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Elsevier
2025
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| Acceso en línea: | 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 |
| _version_ | 1855487061495119872 |
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| author | Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo Easdale, Marcos Horacio Crovetto, Maria Marcela |
| author_browse | Crovetto, Maria Marcela Easdale, Marcos Horacio Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo |
| author_facet | Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo Easdale, Marcos Horacio Crovetto, Maria Marcela |
| author_sort | Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| 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. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA23072 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA230722025-07-18T11:26:36Z Socio-technical networks in rural contexts: Analysing shearing schedules and functioning in Patagonian sheep farming Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo Easdale, Marcos Horacio Crovetto, Maria Marcela Ovinos Esquileo Desarrollo Rural Adopción de Tecnología Sheep Shearing Rural Development Technology Adoption Región Patagónica 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 2025-07-18T11:22:23Z 2025-07-18T11:22:23Z 2025-10 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 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 eng 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) application/pdf Elsevier Journal of Rural Studies 119 : 103747. (October 2025) |
| spellingShingle | Ovinos Esquileo Desarrollo Rural Adopción de Tecnología Sheep Shearing Rural Development Technology Adoption Región Patagónica Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bernardo Easdale, Marcos Horacio Crovetto, Maria Marcela 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 |
| 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_short | 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 |
| topic | Ovinos Esquileo Desarrollo Rural Adopción de Tecnología Sheep Shearing Rural Development Technology Adoption Región Patagónica |
| 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 |
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