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Exchange, Trade, Debt: Ethnography of Fringe Economies
Rádl, Michael ; Abu Ghosh, Yasar (advisor) ; Buzalka, Juraj (referee) ; Fotta, Martin (referee)
In my dissertation thesis, I focus on the area of trade, which is referred to as "fringe economics". Using the example of bazaar and pawnshop, my aim is to show the economic and social significance of the fringe economy for groups of economically or socially disadvantaged customers who share similar socio-economic status, which in turn implies certain lifestyle and way of forming and understanding values, and some unwritten norms. I am particularly interested in pawn broking, where I focus on issues related to negotiating the terms of a pawn loan. I describe the expectations with which people come to the pawnshop, how they negotiate the terms of the transactions and what strategies they use in doing so. The basic research method is a combination of participant observation and informal interviews. Given my long experience as a bazaar owner, reconstructing my own memories is also an important method. The analysis of the interactions and processes that take place in bazaar-pawnshop is an important step towards fulfilling the main aim, which is explaining the social role of this type of fringe economy. In particular, I focus on the question of how groups of economically disadvantaged or marginalized customers perceive the pawnshop and how they have incorporated it into their lifestyles. The results of...
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"Bazaar and pawn shop: ethnography at the interface of formal and informal economy"
Rádl, Michael ; Abu Ghosh, Yasar (advisor) ; Halbich, Marek (referee)
Bazaar and pawnshop: etnography at the interface of formal and informal economy Abstract: In this paper I deal with the issue, regarding what actually constitutes bazaar-pawnshop and what this facility means for different groups of customers. Basic research method is auto- ethnography, because best suits in the situation, where I am myself the owner of such shop and during field research I use my own memories and perform both as a direct participant-owner as well as an anthropologist, examining the environment of bazaar. In the empirical part, I offer a brief characterization of different types of customers, depending on the way how they use the bazaar-pawnshop. By describing and analyzing relationships and interactions occurring in the course of business negotiations in the bazaar-pawnshop, I try to show what this type of economy, often referred to as informal or marginal, means for different groups of customers. In particular, I focus on the question how marginalized groups perceive bazaar-pawnshop and how they incorporate it into their lifestyle. On the basis of collected data I infer that they regard the bazaar- pawnshop as a standard economic facility and as an almost necessary part of their everyday life. Keywords: bazaar-pawnshop, purchase, sale, pawn, loan, used goods, customers, marginalized groups
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Classical concepts of stratification and their comparison with the situation in contemporary society. Subjective and objective position in the social structure
Rádl, Michael ; Šafr, Jiří (advisor) ; Jirkovská, Blanka (referee)
The central theme of the thesis is the current conceptualization of social classes and the issue of stratification in the Czech Republic in the period after 1989. In the first part I confront key theses of classical stratification concepts and follow their transformations in the history of exploration of the social structure. In the second part, by secondary analysis of quantitative data, I am trying to find the key factors of self- classification into social structures and to determine how this subjective self- classification correlates with objective (sociological) classification. An important part of the research is also the question of to what extent and in what sense people perceive the contemporary Czech society as a social-stratified. In the conclusion, on the basis of the results of analysis, I am trying to suggest which of the classical concepts of stratification best reflects the situation in contemporary Czech society. Key words: subjective and objective position, stratification, class, stratum, status, society, social structure
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Classical concepts of stratification and their comparison with the situation in contemporary society. Subjective and objective position in the social structure
Rádl, Michael ; Šafr, Jiří (advisor) ; Jirkovská, Blanka (referee)
The central theme of the thesis is the current conceptualization of social classes and the issue of stratification in the Czech Republic in the period after 1989. In the first part I confront key theses of classical stratification concepts and follow their transformations in the history of exploration of the social structure. In the second part, by secondary analysis of quantitative data, I am trying to find the key factors of self- classification into social structures and to determine how this subjective self- classification correlates with objective (sociological) classification. An important part of the research is also the question of to what extent and in what sense people perceive the contemporary Czech society as a social-stratified. In the conclusion, on the basis of the results of analysis, I am trying to suggest which of the classical concepts of stratification best reflects the situation in contemporary Czech society. Key words: subjective and objective position, stratification, class, stratum, status, society, social structure
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"Bazaar and pawn shop: ethnography at the interface of formal and informal economy"
Rádl, Michael ; Abu Ghosh, Yasar (advisor) ; Halbich, Marek (referee)
Bazaar and pawnshop: etnography at the interface of formal and informal economy Abstract: In this paper I deal with the issue, regarding what actually constitutes bazaar-pawnshop and what this facility means for different groups of customers. Basic research method is auto- ethnography, because best suits in the situation, where I am myself the owner of such shop and during field research I use my own memories and perform both as a direct participant-owner as well as an anthropologist, examining the environment of bazaar. In the empirical part, I offer a brief characterization of different types of customers, depending on the way how they use the bazaar-pawnshop. By describing and analyzing relationships and interactions occurring in the course of business negotiations in the bazaar-pawnshop, I try to show what this type of economy, often referred to as informal or marginal, means for different groups of customers. In particular, I focus on the question how marginalized groups perceive bazaar-pawnshop and how they incorporate it into their lifestyle. On the basis of collected data I infer that they regard the bazaar- pawnshop as a standard economic facility and as an almost necessary part of their everyday life. Keywords: bazaar-pawnshop, purchase, sale, pawn, loan, used goods, customers, marginalized groups
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