Abstract
A growing body of research is drawing attention on the importance of latent ties, defined as relationships whose interaction has been suspended for long time. By conducting an ethnographic investigation of a textile district in the Northern Italy, I inductively develop a process model of practices and cognitive mechanisms enfolding in the reactivation of latent ties. Through this study I begin shading light on how individual perceptions of relationships change through time according to three phases: activity, latency and reconnection. Furthermore, grounding on evidence from my research, I build theory about how discrepancies in perceptions within a dyadic relationship create “social slack”, a key driver in reactivation.