Underground Employment: Analyzing the Job Quality of New York City Subway Dancers

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes the New York City subway phenomenon known as “showtime.” Using an individuals-in-relation framework and drawing on Marxist and feminist economic perspectives, it investigates the job quality of subway dancing as a type of informal self-employment. The data come from thirty-four in-depth interviews conducted in 2016. The paper contextualizes earnings, hours, and conditions of work by considering the social relations and power dynamics in which they are embedded. While dancers articulate advantages of this work, such as setting one’s own schedule and having a creative outlet, they also articulate disadvantages, most notably the risk of being arrested. While the dancers see performing on the subway as productively contributing to New York City, the police categorize this activity as a crime. Through this analysis, the paper provides insights into the broader context of work relations and inequality in New York City.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Empowering aspects of subway dancing include not having a boss and ability to express creativity.

• Challenges include negative passengers and risk of injury or arrest.

• Subway dancing highlights lack of quality formal employment for marginalized populations in New York City.

• Criminalizing subway dancing is an example of criminalization of black male bodies in the US.

KEYWORDS:

• Informal employment
• job quality
• Marx
• feminist economics
• race

JEL CODES:

• B50
• J49
• J15

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank the Marshall Fellowship at Franklin and Marshall College for partially funding this research. We would also like to thank Stephanie Bishop, Mitch Green, Emily Marshall, Nicole Young, Lisa Saunders, Nancy Folbre, Katherine Moos, Michael Ash, David Katz, and the rest of department of Economics of UMass Amherst for their helpful feedback. We would also like to thank the anonymous referees for their insightful comments and feedback.

Notes

1 See Christopher A. Gregory (2015) for in-depth analysis of gifts versus commodities.

2 Nine interviews were conducted with the interviewee alone, sixteen in pairs, and nine in groups of three.

3 We did not explicitly ask other respondents if their household received public assistance.

4 The person who brings the amp gets to keep any change.

5 Two interviewees said they were able to get their amp back after being arrested, and two said they were not.

6 The information we have about arrests is based solely on interviews with dancers. We did not speak with any police officers.

7 Frankie explained, “It keeps me away from all the negativity such like gangs you know, away from violence.”

8 Some dancers jump the turnstile or ask other passengers leaving the train if they can have a free swipe.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Franklin and Marshall College.

Notes on contributors

Leanne Roncolato

Leanne Roncolato graduated from American University with her PhD in Economics in 2013. She began teaching at Franklin and Marshall College in 2014. She previously worked at the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Her early publications include work on international trade, structural change, and informal employment. Recently, she has been researching the economics of gay and lesbian households, the gendered division of care labor, and the economic experience of NYC subway dancers. Leanne is a US citizen.

Cairynne Koh

Cairynne Koh graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in December 2016 with a major in Economics. During her time at Franklin and Marshall College, she was actively involved in dance and the international students’ association. She worked as a research assistant with Dr. Roncolato for two years. Following graduation, she entered the private sector. She currently works as an associate for Deloitte Singapore. Cairynne is a Malaysian citizen.