Precarious Enterprise on the Margins

This book explores the contemporary conditions of marginal work within the context of persistent unemployment, poverty, and homelessness in wealthy nations. Drawing from research concerning three cities-Melbourne, San Francisco, and London-Jessica Gerrard offers a rich account of one of the most precarious informal forms of work: selling homeless street press (The Big Issue and Street Sheet). Combining analyses of sellers' everyday work experiences with theorizations of marginality, working, and learning, Gerrard provides much-needed insight into contemporary forms of entrepreneurial and precarious work. This book demonstrates that those who are unemployed and seemingly unproductive are, in fact, highly productive. They value, desire, and seek practical work experience whilst also struggling to fulfill the basic needs that many of us take for granted. 

Jessica Gerrard is Senior Lecturer in Education, Equity, and Politics at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

1. Introduction: Work, Poverty, and Capitalism.- 2. Marginality Reconsidered.- 3. Homeless Street Press: Historical and Contemporary Connections.- 4. Time is Money.- 5. Being Productive: Working, Not Begging.- 6. Learning to Entrepreneurially Labour.- 7. Working in Public: Value, Exchange, and Performance.- 8. Moving On?: Pathways, Aspirations, and Stasis.- 9. Epilogue: Enterprise on the Margins.