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Railway Capitalism in Mid-Nineteenth- Century Catalonia A Social Network Analysis of Shareholders, Directors, and Corporate Participation, 1856-1866

Calvete Farrerons, Víctor LU (2026) EKHS11 20261
Department of Economic History
Abstract
This thesis examines Catalan railway companies between 1856 and 1866 as spaces of economic and social transformation. Using Social Network Analysis, it studies the relationships between shareholders, company directors and major investors in order to analyze to what extent railway companies reflected and shaped the transformation of Catalan capitalism. The results show that railway investment was not exclusively dominated by established elites, as lesser-known individuals also entered these corporate spaces through repeated participation in shareholders’ meetings. However, effective influence remained concentrated among company directors, important investors and family groups. In this sense, railway companies appear as hybrid spaces where... (More)
This thesis examines Catalan railway companies between 1856 and 1866 as spaces of economic and social transformation. Using Social Network Analysis, it studies the relationships between shareholders, company directors and major investors in order to analyze to what extent railway companies reflected and shaped the transformation of Catalan capitalism. The results show that railway investment was not exclusively dominated by established elites, as lesser-known individuals also entered these corporate spaces through repeated participation in shareholders’ meetings. However, effective influence remained concentrated among company directors, important investors and family groups. In this sense, railway companies appear as hybrid spaces where older forms of family-based and reputation-based capitalism coexisted with newer forms of shareholder participation. (Less)
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author
Calvete Farrerons, Víctor LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS11 20261
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Railway Companies, Mid-Nineteenth-Century Catalonia, Shareholders, Social Network Analysis, Interlocking Directorates, Business History
language
English
id
9233182
date added to LUP
2026-09-07 14:15:39
date last changed
2026-09-07 14:15:39
@misc{9233182,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines Catalan railway companies between 1856 and 1866 as spaces of economic and social transformation. Using Social Network Analysis, it studies the relationships between shareholders, company directors and major investors in order to analyze to what extent railway companies reflected and shaped the transformation of Catalan capitalism. The results show that railway investment was not exclusively dominated by established elites, as lesser-known individuals also entered these corporate spaces through repeated participation in shareholders’ meetings. However, effective influence remained concentrated among company directors, important investors and family groups. In this sense, railway companies appear as hybrid spaces where older forms of family-based and reputation-based capitalism coexisted with newer forms of shareholder participation.}},
  author       = {{Calvete Farrerons, Víctor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Railway Capitalism in Mid-Nineteenth- Century Catalonia A Social Network Analysis of Shareholders, Directors, and Corporate Participation, 1856-1866}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}