The economy of interactions. Comment on “The functions of social interaction in the knowledge-creative economy : Between co-presence and ICT-mediated social relations,” by Marianna d'Ovidio and Alessandro Gandini

In economic sociology, networks of relationships are seen as playing a fundamental role with respect to economic transactions, while interactions support such networks. Consequently, interactions appear as subordinated to the aim of conducting transactions, and as having an instrumental character. This comment argues that, if transactions are to be made possible, interactions among participants have to be conducted and understood as non-instrumental and autonomous.