Rendering actually existing economic alternatives visible: Central European food sharing networks
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| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The spaces of traditional sharing economies in the global North have largely been left outside the growing interest in the sharing and collaborative economies. In post-socialist countries the market triumphalism and the promotion of individualism and consumerist lifestyles have also resulted in depreciation of traditional sharing economies both in the media and public policy discourse. In spite of this, in rural areas a range of everyday needs – including food and mutual help - are being met by non-market practices. The paper aims, firstly, to investigate the extent of Czech food sharing economies and to identify the patterns of their spatial networks. Secondly, to examine the motivations for participation in these informal economic practices. The magnitude of the sharing economy was determined by the large-scale questionnaire-based survey of Czech households. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were employed to uncover the motivations for people’s involvement in the sharing economy. The results have revealed that despite the population’s growing affluence, some types of food self-provisioning practices and exchanges of household products and labour are a common occurrence within Czech rural social networks. The motivations for participation in sharing economies are less economic and more social and cultural: enjoyment, tradition and pride in abilities and skills. The research brings new insights into alternative economic practices and seeks to expand the base from which ‘universal knowledge’ on sharing and diverse economies is generated. |
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