The Development of Open‐air Markets in East‐Central Europe

Abstract

This paper considers the way in which open‐air markets have developed as a legacy of both the communist and pre‐communist systems, but have taken distinctive forms in the post‐communist context. The small‐scale capitalism represented by open‐air markets is often informal and not often analysed in the context of the transformation process in East and Central Europe. However, this paper argues that they can represent an important indicator of some aspects of the nature and extent of economic and social transformation. The paper considers theoretical insights for analysing open‐air markets and particular features of post‐communist open‐air markets: the degree of informalization; the role of ethnic communities; moral perspectives on markets; open‐air markets and social capital or other forms of informal social control; and the role of social structure in understanding open‐air markets. Cet article analyse la façon dont les marchés en plein air, se sont développés à partir de leurs origines dans les systèmes pré‐communistes et communistes, tout en prenant des formes distinctes dans le contexte post‐communiste. Le capitalisme à petite échelle représenté par les marchés en plein air est souvent informel et rarement analysé dans le contexte du processus de transformation en Europe de l’est et en Europe centrale. Néanmoins, cet article soutient qu’ils peuvent ?tre un indicateur important de certains aspects de la nature et du degré de transformation sociale et économique. Les éléments théoriques sont mis en relation avec l’analyse des marchés en plein air et leurs éléments caractéristiques après le communisme: L’importance de l’economie soutenue; le rôle des communautés ethniques; les perspectives morales sur les marchés; les marchés en plein air et le capital social ou d’autres formes de contrôle social officieux; et le rôle de la structure sociale pour comprendre les marchés en plein air.

Ethnic Markets in post-Soviet Transitional Space: Their Role in Society and the Research Area

“…Velde, Marcinczak, 2007;Sik, Wallace, 1999;Huwelmeier, 2013). However, given the scale of the problem and its significance, these articles are not enough, what is more, the problem is studied with a huge delay.…”

Transport geography and new European realities: a critique

“…This 'reterritorialisation of Europe' (Dingsdale, 1999, p. 149) has entailed implicit spatial and structural core-periphery relations both within an enlarged EU and between it and its remaining eastern neighbours. This in its turn has impacted upon the dynamics, scale and nature of mobility in the region over the past two decadesthrough forces of integration (tourism, leisure, second home ownership, some labour migration, shopping) and dislocation (refugee flight, some labour migration, the need for cross-border petty trading) -that has been experienced (Sik and Wallace, 1999;Thuen, 1999;Aidis, 2003;Egbert, 2006). As both cause and effect, intricate webs of mobility linkages and networks may exist on both sides of national boundaries.…”

Local economic governance in hard times: the shadow economy and the textile and clothing industries around Lodz and Naples

“…Following the collapse of the socialist political and economic system, with 'the disappearance of shortages, the emergence of competition, a gradually expanding market for services' (Lackó , 1998, p. 131) and the legalization of the activities of the private economy, the factors that had so far determined the functioning of informal economy in CEECs gradually lost importance: in the new context, many different forms of integration between the shadow and the official economy emerged (Sik, 1994;Sik and Wallace, 1999). Under the new, changing conditions of the transition to market economy, the most pronounced distinctive reasons for the shadow economy in CEECs are related to (Gërxhani, 2004): † the tax regime: i.e.…”

“…markets or peddlers without permits who do not declare their incomes); or legal vendors who under-report their taxable earnings. Thus, the concept of shadow economy is only a part of the broader definition of 'informal economy' that includes also those activities that are not provided for by the law, such as babysitting circles, or those activities that are illegal by themselves (Mingione, 1991); and the shadow economy is related in many different forms to the regular economy (Sik, 1994;Sik and Wallace, 1999).…”