Sense-making of digital money among female peripheral agents: a short ethnographic study of informal workers in North India

Titolo Rivista SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO
Autori/Curatori Anwesha Chakraborty, Jillet Sarah Sam
Anno di pubblicazione 2019 Fascicolo 2019/154 Lingua Inglese
Numero pagine 19 P. 60-78 Dimensione file 197 KB
DOI 10.3280/SL2019-154004
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This essay compares how digital money is conceptualized by the government with sense-making and practices among women workers in North India. The government promotes and envisions a future with large sections of the population within the fold of ‘Digital India’. The policy rhetoric emphasizes capacity building, both in terms of improving infrastructure and training. However, in its positive narratives, the inclusion of peripherals in the government of the digital economy. Further, through focus group discussions and interviews carried out with women working at the intersection of formal and informal economy.

Questo saggio mette a confronto il modo in cui il denaro digitale è stato concettualizzato dal Governo Indiano e l’interpretazione che ne hanno dato le lavoratrici dell’India del Nord. Il Governo Indiano ha promosso e immaginato un futuro capace di portare ampie fasce della popolazione all’interno della "Digital India". La retorica politica ha enfatizzato l’idea di "capacity building", intesa sia in termini di miglioramento delle infrastrutture che di miglioramento delle opportunità di formazione capaci di consentire alla popolazione indiana in grado di utilizzare le transazioni digitali. Tuttavia, nel suo racconto positivo, l’inclusione delle donne è menzionata solo di sfuggita, rendendole soggetti periferici nella visione governativa di un’economia digitale. Il presente articolo stabilisce, attraverso focus group e interviste con donne che lavorano all’incrocio tra economia formale e informale, che le nostre intervistate sono agenti periferici a causa delle strutture economiche e sociali che le vincolano dall’accesso formale ed effettivo al denaro digitale.

Keywords:Denaro digitale, economia informale, denaro senza contanti, denaro di genere

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Anwesha Chakraborty, Jillet Sarah Sam, Sense-making of digital money among female peripheral agents: a short ethnographic study of informal workers in North India in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO " 154/2019, pp 60-78, DOI: 10.3280/SL2019-154004