Inequality and the Moral Economy of the Shop Floor in an American Supercenter

Laura Jordan

Inequality and the Moral Economy of the Shop Floor in an American Supercenter

Laura Jordan

The University of Manchester

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Flint, Michigan has seen a radical transformation of its economic landscape from one generation to the next, with high-paying manufacturing jobs giving way to both high unemployment and low-paying jobs, such as those that predominated at the supercenter chain in which I conducted my fieldwork. This paper seeks to explore how the radical decline in social and economic conditions are being experienced by “bread-and-butter” retail workers, and how these workers are drawing on shared values of reciprocity, fairness, and respect to interpret everyday forms inequality.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	host publication
Publication status	Published - 2011
Event	"Hard times: The Social and Political Consequences of Global Recession". Social Change: A Harvard-Manchester Initiative (SCHMi) - Crewe Duration: 4 Jun 2011 → 16 Jun 2011

Conference

Conference	"Hard times: The Social and Political Consequences of Global Recession". Social Change: A Harvard-Manchester Initiative (SCHMi)
City	Crewe
Period	4/06/11 → 16/06/11

Keywords

Moral economy
Fairness
Respect
Retail work

Cite this

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title = "Inequality and the Moral Economy of the Shop Floor in an American Supercenter",

abstract = "Flint, Michigan has seen a radical transformation of its economic landscape from one generation to the next, with high-paying manufacturing jobs giving way to both high unemployment and low-paying jobs, such as those that predominated at the supercenter chain in which I conducted my fieldwork. This paper seeks to explore how the radical decline in social and economic conditions are being experienced by “bread-and-butter” retail workers, and how these workers are drawing on shared values of reciprocity, fairness, and respect to interpret everyday forms inequality.",

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author = "Laura Jordan",

year = "2011",

language = "English",

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note = "{"}Hard times: The Social and Political Consequences of Global Recession{"}. Social Change: A Harvard-Manchester Initiative (SCHMi) ; Conference date: 04-06-2011 Through 16-06-2011",

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N2 - Flint, Michigan has seen a radical transformation of its economic landscape from one generation to the next, with high-paying manufacturing jobs giving way to both high unemployment and low-paying jobs, such as those that predominated at the supercenter chain in which I conducted my fieldwork. This paper seeks to explore how the radical decline in social and economic conditions are being experienced by “bread-and-butter” retail workers, and how these workers are drawing on shared values of reciprocity, fairness, and respect to interpret everyday forms inequality.

AB - Flint, Michigan has seen a radical transformation of its economic landscape from one generation to the next, with high-paying manufacturing jobs giving way to both high unemployment and low-paying jobs, such as those that predominated at the supercenter chain in which I conducted my fieldwork. This paper seeks to explore how the radical decline in social and economic conditions are being experienced by “bread-and-butter” retail workers, and how these workers are drawing on shared values of reciprocity, fairness, and respect to interpret everyday forms inequality.

KW - Moral economy

KW - Fairness

KW - Respect

KW - Retail work

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - host publication

T2 - "Hard times: The Social and Political Consequences of Global Recession". Social Change: A Harvard-Manchester Initiative (SCHMi)

Y2 - 4 June 2011 through 16 June 2011

ER -

Inequality and the Moral Economy of the Shop Floor in an American Supercenter

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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Cite this