Unraveling the Meanings of Underground Work

Abstract

Across the social sciences, the dominant “thin” reading of monetary exchange that views it as universally market-like and motivated by monetary gain is being challenged by a “thicker” reading that seeks to unpack the complex and messy characters and logics of monetised transactions. Until now, this re-reading has occurred by studying small alternative economic spaces (e.g., car boot sales, local currency schemes) that can be easily explained away as peripheral or even superfluous to an understanding of mainstream monetised exchange. To provide a more forceful challenge, therefore, this paper interrogates a form of work often seen as an exemplar of market-like work undertaken for the purpose of monetary gain, namely the underground sector. Reporting empirical evidence that unravels the heterogeneous and embedded characters and logics underpinning this work, this paper calls for those promulgating a thicker reading to be bolder and interrogate the meanings of monetary transactions in more mainstream spaces.

Keywords:

• hidden economy
• informal sector
• gift-giving
• cultural turn
• Nottinghamshire

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the reviewers of an earlier version of this paper for providing excellent constructive criticisms. As always, however, the usual disclaimers apply.

Notes

1 The 42 tasks examined covered house maintenance (outdoor painting; indoor painting; wallpapering; plastering; mending a broken widow and maintenance of appliances; walling/fencing), home improvement (putting in double glazing; plumbing; electrical work; house insulation; putting in a bathroom suite; building an extension; converting an attic; putting in central heating and odd DIY jobs), housework (routine housework; cleaning windows outdoors; spring cleaning; cleaning windows indoors; doing the shopping; washing/ironing clothes; cooking meals; washing dishes; hairdressing; household administration), making and repairing goods (clothes; curtains; tools, furniture), car maintenance (washing car; repairing car and car maintenance), gardening (care of indoor plants; outdoor borders; outdoor vegetables; lawn mowing; tidying garden) and caring activities (daytime baby-sitting; night-time baby sitting; tutoring; pet care).