This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Dissertation Research program. It is a study of world primary commodity markets, seeking to develop a comprehensive framework for analysis of their operation based on examination of the evolution of the world coffee market. Data will be used to evaluate and integrate three alternative modes of analysis: bargaining power theory, commodity agreement theory, and political negotiation theory. The research will not only contribute to historical sociology and economic sociology, but it will augment the knowledge base for understanding relations between advanced industrial nations and the Third World nations which are dependent upon commodity exports. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to future scientific manpower and the thorough training of the next generation of sociologists.
