Domesticity as value: The commodification of foodstuffs in precarious rural Russia

Résumé :

This chapter analyzes the process of the commodification of domestic activity from the point of view of vulnerable rural Russians engaged in household-farm production. After describing how people get involved in this type of production, the chapter considers the ways in which the activity is organized and analyzes the impacts of market entry on production choice. It then explores vulnerable individuals’ marketization activities and the mechanisms they put in place to singularize their foodstuffs for sale. Singularization efforts promote two main characteristics to make a return on goods: domestic origin and domestic modes of production. Lastly, it focuses on the men involved in this activity and shows that investment in household-farm production has given them the opportunity to access certain forms of social re-legitimation.