At Work in the Informal Economy of India

Informal labour translates as labour or employment that is not regular. Labour in the informal sector is casual, insecure, and unprotected. This book brings to light the plight of the landless and land-poor peasants in the informal economy in India. While discussing the labour being pushed out of agricultural production, Jan Breman contextualizes why, when, and how this transition occurred. The book is a result of anthropological fieldwork conducted in Gujarat-the state with the highest rate of economic growth-spanning over four decades. Although centred on one Indian state, thereby lacking a comparative frame, the author argues that India is the epicentre of the informal economy. Thus, the informal sector here has a wider relevance and greater validity. The book is divided into two parts. The first part covers the historical developments under capitalism, and contextualizes the deplorable condition of the unorganized workforce and the commodification of labour with the decline of agrarian bondage. The second part consists of author's ten previously published papers elaborating on themes and issues introduced in the first part of the book. This part also familiarizes the reader with the concept of informality and its ramifications. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. http: //www.ft.com/cms/s/2/39b808ac-adcc-11e2-a2c7-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2Ryv1Xl9K "Breman's book does not make for quick or easy reading, given its academic style. But it still provides an eye-opening perspective on a country where 1.2m young people--many with few skills, if any--are entering the labour market every month."--Financial TimesPART ONE: AT WORK IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY OF INDIA ; LIST OF TABLES ; PREFACE ; LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ; INTRODUCTION ; 1. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DUALISM ; 2. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR ; 3. AT WORK ; 4. CIRCULATION AND IMMOBILIZATION OF LABOUR ; 5. SOCIAL PROFILE AND LOCALE; ; 6. RESISTANCE TO EXCLUSION AND COPING WITH INSECURITY ; CONCLUSION ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX ; PART TWO: SELECTED READINGS ; LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE ; PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; 1. THE MARKET FOR NON-AGRARIAN LABOUR: THE FORMAL VERSUS INFORMAL SECTOR ; 2. THE STUDY OF INDUSTRIAL LABOUR IN POST-COLONIAL INDIA: THE FORMAL SECTOR-AN INTRODUCTORY REVIEW ; 3. A QUESTION OF POVERTY ; 4. THE QUALITY OF THE LABOUR PROCESS ; 5. THE EXPULSION OF LABOUR FROM THE FORMAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY ; 6. NEO-BONDAGE: A FIELDWORK-BASED ACCOUNT ; 7. PROLETARIAN LIFE AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS ; 8. INFORMALITY AS A REGIME OF EXPLOITATION AND MARGINALIZATION ; 9. MYTHS OF THE GLOBAL SAFETY NET ; 10. THE EVENTUAL RETURN OF SOCIAL DARWINISM ; BIBLIOGRAPHY