Formal and Informal Entrepreneurship in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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DISTINCTIVE DEALINGS: FORMAL AND INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA by brian Campbell Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia December, 2018 © Copyright by brian Campbell, 2018 Dedication Page For my beautiful wife, Tania, who has stuck with me as I have chased my dreams (while putting her own on hold) for the past fifteen years. I love you. And In loving memory of Mark Adams (1983-2008), one of my closest friends, whose own dream of pursuing a PhD will never be fulfilled. I miss you. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………..viii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………...ix LIST OF ABBREVIATONS USED………………………………………………………………x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………....xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………1 1.1 THE ROOT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM………………………………….1 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS, CENTRAL THESIS AND CHAPTER OUTLINE…………………………………………………………………………3 CHAPTER 2: THE INFORMAL ECONOMY………………………………………………….11 2.1 DEFINITIONS AND EXAMPLES……………………………………………...11 2.2 THE DUAL SECTOR APPROACH…………………………………………….14 2.3 STRUCTURALIST APPROACHES……………………………………………20 2.4 THE LEGALIST/NEOLIBERAL APPROACH………………………………...26 2.5 THE VOLUNTARIST APPROACH……………………………………………30 2.6 CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARSHIP…………………………………………..34 2.7 THE FORMALIZATION DEBATE…………………………………………….40 2.8 THE PRECARIAT……………………………………………………………….44 2.9 DISCUSSION: INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE USED- GOODS TRADE………………………………………………………………...49 CHAPTER 3: SECONDARY THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS……………………………..57 3.1 ENTANGLEMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RELATIONS AT WEEKLY MARKETS…………………………………………………………...58 3.1.1 Information Search and Bargaining……………………………………..60 iii 3.1.2 The Performative Role of Market Vendors……………………………...64 3.1.3 Scapegoating and Struggles Over Space………………………………...68 3.1.4 Discussion……………………………………………………………….73 3.2 MAKING SENSE OF THE LOCAL…………………………………………….74 3.2.1 The Local Community…………………………………………………...75 3.2.2 The Local Scale and Local as Value-Added Labelling………………….79 3.2.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………......83 3.3 DISTINCTION, MASS CULTURE & GENTRIFICATION…………………...84 3.3.1 The Distinction Concept…………………………………………………85 3.3.2 Distinction and Mass Culture…………………………………………….88 3.3.3 Distinction and the Gentrification Aesthetic……………………………..94 3.4 CONNECTING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS…………………….105 CHAPTER 4: THE USED-GOODS TRADE…………………………………………………..113 4.1 THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLEA MARKETS AND FARMERS’ MARKETS……………………………………………………….115 4.2 SCAVENGING AND GARBAGE PICKING…………………………………122 4.3 GARAGE SALES………………………………………………………………126 4.4 STREET VENDING IN NORTH AMERICA…………………………………132 4.5 COMPARING INFORMAL MARKETS IN THE GLOBAL NORTH AND GLOBAL SOUTH……………………………………………………………...139 4.6 COLLECTIBLES, NOSTALGIA AND VINTAGE AS THE CATALYSTS FOR PROCUREMENT………………………………………………………...145 4.7 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………..150 CHAPTER 5: COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITES AND GAINING ENTRY……………………………………………………………………………..154 iv 5.1 A HISTORICAL EXPLANTION OF THE STIGMATIZATION OF GOTTINGEN STREET………………………………………………………...154 5.2 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE AREA AROUND CANAL STREET……….160 5.3 THE ORIGINS OF PLAN B…………………………………………………...163 5.4 THE POLITICAL HIERARCHY OF PLAN B………………………………...168 5.5 GAINING ENTRY AT PLAN B……………………………………………….173 5.6 A SHORT HISTORY OF WEEKLY FLEA MARKETS IN HALIFAX……...177 5.7 GAINING ENTRY AT THE HARBOURVIW WEEKEND MARKET………181 CHAPTER 6: COMMUNITY RELATIONS AT PLAN B AND THE HARBOURVIEW…...188 6.1 MY UNEXPECTED INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF PLAN B VENDORS……………………………………………188 6.2 PLAN B COMMUNITY RELATIONS: BRONIES, THE MEDIA AND THE “HALIFAMOUS”………………………………………………………...196 6.3. NOCTURNING IS A VERB…………………………………………………...202 6.4 HOW PLAN B MANUFACTURES AND MAINTAINS MEDIA INTEREST……………………………………………………………………...210 6.5 USING NEWSPAPERS TO ADVERTISE IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA…………………………………………………………………………216 6.6 CHANNELLING “THE LOCAL” AT THE MARKET AND THE SHOP……221 6.7 THE PLAN B KARAOKE EXPERIENCE…………………………………….225 6.8 SOCIALIZING ACROSS COMPETITION: CRAZY-8s FOR CASH………..233 6.9 CLIQUES, CREWS, FAMILIES AND ISOLATED ENTITIES………………240 6.10 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………..244 CHAPTER 7: THE ROLE OF THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL ECONOMY……………..248 7.1 THE CASE OF THE MISSING MONKEY KAPALA………………………..251 7.2 THE GREY AREA OF TAXIDERMY………………………………………...255 v 7.3 THE FEAR OF THEFT AND PURCHASING STOLEN GOODS……………261 7.4 ANTHROPOLOGIST OR TAX SPY? ………………………………………...266 7.5 THE RISE AND FALL OF CAFÉ B.R.E.A.M.………………………………..275 7.6 BUILDING INSPECTOR AND THE FIRE MARSHAL CRACK DOWN ON PLAN B…………………………………………………………………….283 7.7 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………..289 CHAPTER 8: MAKING A LIVING (OR NOT)……………………………………………….293 8.1 AT THE AUCTIONS WITH SÉB……………………………………………..296 8.2 THE INTERPLAY OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL ECONOMICS AT AUCTIONS…………………………………………………………………….301 8.3 PLATFORMING AND THE SHRINKING CORE OF VENDORS AT PLAN B………………………………………………………………………...307 8.4 PLATFORMING AND OTHER VENDOR MOTIVATIONS AT THE HARBOURVIEW………………………………………………………………313 8.5 THIRD EYE BLIND…………………………………………………………...316 8.6 BARRY’S BOOKS……………………………………………………………..323 8.7 GAU GAMES AND THE DREAM OF A BRICK AND MORTAR STORE …………………………………………………………………………………..329 8.8 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………..336 CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………340 9.1 THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS………………………………………….341 9.2 DISTINCTION, GENTRIFICATION AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY…..343 9.2.1 Invocations of Community and The Local at Each Research Site……...345 9.2.2 Distinction and Mass Culture…………………………………………...349 9.2.3 Distinction and the Gentrification Aesthetic……………………………352 9.3 THE INFORMAL ECONOMY………………………………………………...355 vi 9.3.1 Business Registration and Tax Remittance……………………………..357 9.3.2 Informal Loopholes……………………………………………………..361 9.4 FINAL THOUGHTS: ANSWERING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS……...365 CHAPTER 10: EPILOGUE…………………………………………………………………….EPILOGU372 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………....377 APPENDIX A: STATEMENT ABOUT PARTICIPANT CONFIDENTIALITY AND ANONYMITY………………………………………………………………………………….393 APPENDIX B: OPERATING A BUSINESS WHILE CONDUCTING FIELDWORK………396 APPENDIX C: METHODOLOGY AT PLAN B……………………………………………...398 APPENDIX D: METHODOLOGY AT THE HARBOURVIEW WEEKEND MARKET……402 APPENDIX E: COMMUNITY CONSENT FORM…………………………………………...404 APPENDIX F: SHOPPER INTERVIEW CONSENT FORM…………………………………405 APPENDIX G: VENDOR INTERVIEW CONSENT FORM…………………………………407 APPENDIX H: VENDOR PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION CONSENT FORM…………...409 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location of Plan B……………………………………………………………………165 Figure 2: The Café (September, 2013) ....................................................................................... 175 Figure 3: The Gallery Space (September, 2013) ........................................................................ 176 Figure 4: Location of the Harbourview Weekend Market……………………………………..180 Figure 5: Plan B Interior ............................................................................................................. 190 Figure 6: Part of Séb's Section (September, 2013). .................................................................... 191 Figure 7: Taxidermy, quack medical devices and other curios in Bob's room ........................... 192 Figure 8: Princess Celestia Obey Poster………………………………………………………..198 Figure 9: The Heart Out of Sight Out of Mind (Nocturne) ......................................................... 203 Figure 10: Follow Your Heart Never Regret (Nocturne)............................................................ 204 Figure 11: Heart & Mind Never Getting Back Together (Nocturne) ......................................... 205 Figure 12: Those Who Mind Don’t Matter (Nocture) ................................................................ 206 Figure 13: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (Nocturne) ................................................. 207 Figure 14: The cover of Local Connections Halifax Magazine Vol. 1, # 4…………………….212 Figure 15: "Lucky" the mummified cat on the set of CBC's Four Rooms……………………..215 Figure 16: Harbourview Weekend Market Metro advertisement. .............................................. 218 Figure 17: A picture of the missing sign, taken in May, 2014.................................................... 220 Figure 18: One of Plan B's Tables at the Halifax Club ............................................................... 227 Figure 19: Plan B’s “House Musicians” Performing on Stage at the Halifax Club ................... 228 Figure 20: Plan B Core Member Group Photo ........................................................................... 229 Figure 21: A Picture of Barry's Books taken on May 19, 2014 .................................................. 325 Figure 22: Barry in the section that had collapsed. ..................................................................... 326 viii ABSTRACT Over the past fifty years, the informal economy has emerged as a concept in contradistinction to the formal economy. Literature often assumes that informal economic activities result from precarity and a lack of access to formal employment. Over time, informality has been explained as a residue of traditionalism; as resulting from capitalist exploitation; as resulting from cumbersome regulations and registration processes; or, as resulting from exclusion from the formal economy. These approaches rely on information collected in the Global South and can be difficult to apply