Reconceptualising paid informal exchange: some lessons from English cities

Most studies of paid informal exchange evaluate its varying magnitude acros s space and social groups. Little attention, however, has been paid to the variable nature of paid informal exchange. Instead, the unchallenged assump tion is that such exchanges are universally conducted under work relations akin to formal employment for profit-motivated purposes. To evaluate critic ally this dominant conceptualisation of the character of paid informal exch ange, empirical research is here reported from lower-income and higher-inco me neighbourhoods of two English cities. This identifies that although most paid informal exchange in affluent suburbs is conducted under market-like relations for economic gain, this is not the case in lower-income neighbour hoods. Here, such exchange is more undertaken for and by Friends, neighbour s, and relatives for an array of reasons associated with developing social capital and/or redistribution. We conclude by suggesting that a more social ly, culturally, and geographically embedded appreciation of the nature of p aid informal exchange is now required alongside a fuller exploration of its implications for policy.