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Migrant infrastructure: Transaction economies in Birmingham and Leicester, UK

Author

Listed:
  • Suzanne Hall

    (London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)

  • Julia King

    (London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)

  • Robin Finlay

    (Newcastle University, UK)

Abstract

Infrastructure convenes social relations, thereby revealing how city dwellers access shared resources in the context of growing inequality. Our exploration of migrant infrastructure engages with how highly variegated migrant groups develop a ‘transaction economy’ (Simone, 2004) within marginalised city streets, exchanging goods and services, and information and care. In the context of ethnically diverse and deprived urban places, where state resources are increasingly diminished, we explore how a precarious yet skilled resourcefulness emerges through the street. Our empirical exploration of migrant infrastructure is located on Rookery Road in Birmingham and on Narborough Road in Leicester, and draws on qualitative surveys with 195 self-employed proprietors from many countries of origin. The streets reveal transaction economies that intersect local and migratory resources, eluding the categorisation of cities associated with either a global North or a global South. Further, the lively nature of street transactions decentres western-centric measures of economic value. From the street, we develop a postcolonial analysis of infrastructure that relates properties of historic depth (power), socio-spatial texture (materiality) and locality (place).

Suggested Citation

  • Suzanne Hall & Julia King & Robin Finlay, 2017. "Migrant infrastructure: Transaction economies in Birmingham and Leicester, UK," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(6), pages 1311-1327, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:54:y:2017:i:6:p:1311-1327
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098016634586
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hillary Angelo & Christine Hentschel, 2015. "Interactions with infrastructure as windows into social worlds: A method for critical urban studies: Introduction," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2-3), pages 306-312, June.
    2. Monder Ram & Trevor Jones & Tahir Abbas & Balihar Sanghera, 2002. "Ethnic Minority Enterprise in its Urban Context: South Asian Restuarants in Birmingham," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 24-40, March.
    3. Cheryl Mcewan & Jane Pollard & Nick Henry, 2005. "The ‘Global’ in the City Economy: Multicultural Economic Development in Birmingham," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 916-933, December.
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    5. Trevor Jones & Monder Ram & Nick Theodorakopoulos, 2010. "Transnationalism as a Force for Ethnic Minority Enterprise? The Case of Somalis in Leicester," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 565-585, September.
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