Sidonie NaulinSenior Lecturer in Sociology at Sciences Po Grenoble and at the Pacte laboratory; Anne JourdainSenior Lecturer in Sociology at Université Paris-Dauphine and IRISSO
Many sell second-hand objects on Le Bon Coin, set up an online shop on Etsy Coin, set up an online store on Etsy to sell handmade items or even generate income from a Twitch account, a YouTube channel YouTube channel, Instagram account or blog.
A number of factors are contributing to the growing commoditization of domestic and leisure activities that were previously performed free of charge. Firstly, the development of the Internet and digital platforms today greatly facilitates this commodification, even if many forms of commodification still escape the digital economy. Secondly, the difficult economic context, currently affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, encourages individuals in precarious situations to seek additional sources of income ("extra money") by all possible means, possibly to cope with the expected deterioration in their economic situation. Finally, the neoliberal or post-Fordist valorization of the figure of the entrepreneur encourages everyone⸱e to try their hand at entrepreneurship, possibly alongside salaried work.
The Social Meaning of Extra Money is a collective book that draws on a wide range of field surveys focusing on different types of commodified activities: knitting, creative hobbies, cooking, blogging, selling personal objects, gardening, knowledge of TV series, erotic and pornographic performances. The fourteen researchers' analyses help us to understand why individuals are trying to generate income from domestic or leisure activities that were previously performed free of charge. How and why should leisure time be commodified today?
Very low incomes considered as pocket money, savings or earned income
Visit The first observation that emerges from the study of the commodification of and leisure activities is the very low level of remuneration involved. commodification. While the media often focus attention on the extraordinary the extraordinary success stories of amateurs who manage to "make a living from their hobby", such as successful YouTubers or creative entrepreneurs entrepreneurs making a living from the commoditization of domestic activities (cooking, sewing, educational services...), these success stories are in fact the the tip of the iceberg. Not only for the majority of practitioners practitioners, commodification is not only poorly remunerative, it is also socially it is also socially discriminatory. Even in the traditionally domestic and leisure activities traditionally dominated by women, it is the men even though they are in the minority, men still manage to earn the highest incomes. income.
Extra money extra money money" generated by the commoditization of domestic and leisure activities can take different forms. In some cases, it is considered pocket money. It is a small income supplement to finance the costs of the leisure activity (purchase of raw materials, camera materials, a camera to broadcast your creations, etc.). Sometimes, the money is also used to improve daily life, as a complement to other sources of income. In other cases, the money earned through the commodification of leisure activities constitutes savings designed to anticipate a future reduction in income, finance a project or to maintain social status. Finally, in a minority of cases, the the commoditization of domestic and leisure activities is a first step towards towards professionalizing this activity.
Once we've established the low level of remuneration generated by the commodification of domestic and leisure activities, the question arises as to why this commodification persists. What's the point of commodifying an activity that can be performed free of charge as an amateur, and which generates little income? The question arises all the more because commodification is sometimes seen as a form of corruption of social activities. Subjected to the laws of the market, these activities would be distorted by their economicization.
Benefits that are above all symbolic
À the theory that sees commodification as a form of corruption of social activities of social activities, another theory, on the contrary, defends the social social valorization aspect of commodification. By putting a price on an activity previously considered domestic or leisure activities, commodification value to the product of this activity and, consequently, to the person who performs it. Thus, commodification is a source of social recognition social recognition from family and friends, customers⸱e⸱s and peers.
Merchandising also enables you to become part of communities of practitioners who share the same interests and develop forms of solidarity. Emulation can be created, encouraging greater involvement in merchandising, which also brings benefits in terms of sociability. This is particularly the case for women's domestic and leisure activities, such as knitting or home cooking, which generally enjoy little social recognition.
From a subjective point of view, commodification can be seen as a form of emancipation for women, by providing a "space of one's own" in which to connect with others and earn a small income. From an objective point of view, however, the situation is different, insofar as the opportunity to "do what you love" is not, in most cases, accompanied by an economic gain that means you are no longer dependent on other sources of income.
The invisible commodification work
The commodification of a domestic or leisure activity does not leave it unscathed: it contributes to transforming it by rationalizing it to meet the imperatives of the commodity framework. Commodification is itself a largely invisible form of work, requiring time, resources and skills. In many ways, this commodification work (" extra work ") is akin to "market work" - communication, brand promotion, price setting, interactions with customers⸱e⸱s, etc. - even though it is carried out in the context of a commodity. - even though most of it is carried out by amateurs. In particular, it takes the form of digital work, when merchandising takes place online: publications on social networks, attention paid to photographs of one's products and their referencing, responses to comments, etc. These are all forms of "digital labor whose economic value is essentially captured by the big digital companies. For certain⸱e⸱s, the amateur aspect of the activity is paradoxically the subject of a very thoughtful staging, sometimes even when the activity is carried out on a professional basis. This additional work of commoditization is both perceived as a constraint and a source of pleasure, especially for those who don't rely on this income for a living and can thus "play" at being an entrepreneur⸱se.