MARKET CULTURES: THE TRADITION OF COMMERCE ON THE AMAZON FRONTIER

In Alto Solimões, Brazil borders Peru and Colombia, where there is a free trade area and free trade without borders. The aim of this article is to propose tradition as a socio-material concept of market culture, revealing the protagonism of the merchant in the theater of commerce. It is intended to describe the market culture of Benjamin/BR, Iceland/PE and Letícia/CO; and interpret the tradition of trade on the Amazon frontier. Giving voice to market actors, I present a qualitative research with observations and interviews. This study contributes to the development of the Consumer Culture Theory by developing the theme: market cultures. Dealing with the practices of merchants and consumers, I sketch a portrait of retail and consumption in the extreme Amazon. Among Benjaminians, Icelanders and Leticians there is a relationship of dependence on products, a tradition in which people exchange goods, beliefs and customs. Local consumer culture is influenced by global consumer culture. Reflectively, mass consumption is influenced by regional consumption.

Keywords:
Retail; Market cultures; Amazon frontier.