Encounters and Practices of Petty Trade in Northern Europe, 1820–1960: Forgotten Livelihoods - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3030980820 ISBN 13: 9783030980825

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022

Synopsis

This open access book uncovers one important, yet forgotten, form of itinerant livelihoods, namely petty trade, more specifically how it was practiced in Northern Europe during the period 1820–1960. It investigates how traders and customers interacted in different spaces and approaches ambulatory trade as an arena of encounters by looking at everyday social practices. Petty traders often belonged to subjugated social groups, like ethnic minorities and migrants, whereas their customers belonged to the resident population. How were these mobile traders perceived and described? What goods did they peddle? How did these commodities enable and shape trading encounters? What kind of narratives can be found, and whose? These questions pertaining to daily practices on a grass-root level have not been addressed in previous research. Encounters and Practices embarks on hidden histories of survival, vulnerability, and conflict, but also discloses reciprocal relations, even friendships.

About this title

About the Author

Jutta Ahlbeck is a Researcher and Docent of History of Ideas. She is affiliated with Åbo Akademi University and University of Oulu, Finland.

Ann-Catrin Östman is a Senior Lecturer and Docent of History. She is affiliated with Åbo Akademi University, Finland.

Eija Stark is a Researcher and Docent of Folklore Studies. She is the Development Manager of the Finnish Literature Society, Finland.

From the Back Cover

This open access book uncovers one important, yet forgotten, form of itinerant livelihoods, namely petty trade, more specifically how it was practiced in Northern Europe during the period 1820–1960. It investigates how traders and customers interacted in different spaces and approaches ambulatory trade as an arena of encounters by looking at everyday social practices. Petty traders often belonged to subjugated social groups, like ethnic minorities and migrants, whereas their customers belonged to the resident population. How were these mobile traders perceived and described? What goods did they peddle? How did these commodities enable and shape trading encounters? What kind of narratives can be found, and whose? These questions pertaining to daily practices on a grass-root level have not been addressed in previous research. Encounters and Practices embarks on hidden histories of survival, vulnerability, and conflict, but also discloses reciprocal relations, even friendships.

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3030980820
• ISBN 13: 9783030980825
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368
• Editor: Ahlbeck Jutta, Östman Ann-Catrin, Stark Eija