Household economy, ritual relationships and global capitalism in a Macedonian town

This paper explores changes within the household economy in the postsocialist, post-Yugoslav town of Prilep, and the way in which these transformations mirror changes in social and ritual relationships.In a context of economic hardship, former factory workers holding casual jobs, often within the grey economy, retreat into the household economy, and therefore rely more on kinship and friendship relationships than they ever did during socialism. Tobacco growing is the seasonal activity occupying most of Prilep’s households. But is not only an economistic response to the cyclical social demand for cash. When asked about their spending patterns, or how their incomes were allocated to different budgets heads of households systematically placed ritual celebrations among top priorities. Yet people did not want to reduce the number of such celebrations they classified as “unavoidable” and “expensive”. One could postpone the payment of a bill, but not an important calendar day such as slava, Christmas or Easter, I was told. I will show how If more and more families in Prilep combine casual jobs and factory work with house-based tobacco growing, this is also because they need to invest more heavily in ritual activities. Households need to raise cash for rituals, which in turn secure the social relationships that provide access to jobs in the industrial sphere and the wider economy.