The Vanishing Rouble: Barter Networks and Non-Monetary Transactions in Post-Soviet SocietiesPaul Seabright One of the most remarkable aspects of the transition process in the former Soviet Union has been the extent to which the economy has effectively become demonetized in recent years. At the time of Russia's financial crisis of 1998, it was estimated that up to 70% of industrial output was being exchanged for barter. This book provides an analysis of barter in the former Soviet Union, addressing such questions as: what has brought about this demonetization and why have we not seen the same phenomenon on a widespread scale in central and eastern Europe?; does the nature of demonetization cast light on what underpins monetary transactions in industrial societies?; what are the consequences for output and growth?; should the state intervene and how?; and, does the network character of many non-monetary transactions have implications for the role and value of social networks in complex modern societies? |
Contents
Some lasting thing barter and the value of money | 15 |
Barter relationships | 35 |
An anthropological view of barter in Russia | 71 |
Part II Largescale empirical studies | 91 |
Barter in postSoviet societies what does it look like and why does it matter? | 93 |
The growth of nonmonetary transactions in Russia causes and effects | 114 |
Barter in Russia | 147 |
The household in a nonmonetary market economy | 176 |
Barter and nonmonetary transactions in transition economies evidence from a crosscountry survey | 236 |
Ethnography | 257 |
How is barter done? The social relations of barter in provincial Russia | 259 |
Shadow barter economic necessity or economic crime? | 298 |
Surrogate currencies and the wild market in central Siberia | 318 |
Bear skins and macaroni the social life of things at the margins of a Siberian state collective | 345 |
what is to be done? | 362 |
| 375 | |
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The Vanishing Rouble: Barter Networks and Non-Monetary Transactions in Post ... Paul Seabright No preview available - 2000 |
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accept accounts agents allows arrears bank barter barter deals become budget Buriat cash cent central chapter collective commodity consumer costs countries deals debt demand directors economy effect efficient enterprises evidence example exchange existence explanation fact farm Figure firms give given growth hold households important income increase individuals industrial inflation inputs institutions interest involved kind lack less liquidity means monetary networks non-monetary transactions Note offsets output paid parties payment pensioners period position practices problem production profit reason received reduce regions relations relationship relative reported restructuring role roubles Russia sector sell share significant simply social Soviet suggests supplier supply survey Table trade transactions transition trust turn types Ukraine University volume wages workers
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