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Thiefing a Chance: Factory Work, Illicit Labor, and Neoliberal Subjectivities in Trinidad PDF

246 Pages·2015·1.843 MB·English
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This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:20 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Thiefing ChanCe a This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:20 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:20 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Thiefing ChanCe a factory Work, illicit Labor, and neoliberal Subjectivities in Trinidad Rebecca Prentice UniveRSiTy PReSS of CoLoRado Boulder This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:20 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms © 2015 by University Press of Colorado Published by University Press of Colorado 5589 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 206C Boulder, Colorado 80303 All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America The University Press of Colorado is a proud member of Association of American University Presses The University Press of Colorado is a cooperative publishing enterprise supported, in part, by Adams State University, Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Regis University, University of Colorado, University of Northern Colorado, Utah State University, and Western State Colorado University. ∞ This paper meets the requirements of the ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). ISBN 978-1-60732-372-3 (paper) ISBN 978-1-60732-375-4 (ebook) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Prentice, Rebecca.   Thiefing a chance : factory work, illicit labor, and neoliberal subjectivities in Trinidad / Rebecca Prentice.        pages cm   Includes bibliographical references.   ISBN 978-1-60732-372-3 (paper) — ISBN 978-1-60732-375-4 (ebook) 1.  Clothing workers—Trinidad. 2.  Clothing factories—Trinidad. 3.  Work environment—Trinidad. 4.  Neoliberalism—Trinidad.  I. Title.   HD8039.C6T7 2015   331.7'616870972983—dc23                                                             2014038119 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Cover image: Stitchers working in a typical Trinidadian factory. Photo by author. This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:20 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Contents List of Figures vii Map of Trinidad viii Acknowledgments ix 1. Introduction 1 2. Being a Factory the Signature Way 25 3. Raced and Emplaced: Signature Fashions Workers 51 4. “Is We Own Factory”: Thiefing a Chance on the Shop Floor 87 5. “Keeping Up with Style”: The Struggle for Skill 111 6. “Use a Next Hand”: Risk, Injury, and the Body at Work 143 7. “Kidnapping Go Build Back We Economy”: Criminal Tropes in Neoliberal Capitalism 173 8. Conclusion 195 References 205 Index 225 This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:26 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:26 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms figures 0.1. Map of Trinidad viii 1.1. Map of Trinidad and the Caribbean region 8 2.1. Layout of the shop floor at Signature Fashions 33 2.2. At work in the stitching section 41 3.1. Houses in Laventille as seen from Picton Road 57 3.2. Bungalow-style houses in a Chaguanas suburb 60 3.3. Production sequence at Signature Fashions 61 5.1. A tailor plots a pattern onto cloth 121 5.2. A garment worker stitching up trouser flies 123 6.1. Example of a button-tacking machine at Universal Uniforms 156 This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:31 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Figure 0.1. Map of Trinidad (map data from Google) This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:36 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms acknowledgments Many individuals and institutions have contributed to this work over more than ten years of research and writing. This research has been funded, at var- ious stages, by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Universities UK, the University of Sussex, the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Economic and Social Research Council. I am grateful to each of these funders and could not have completed the book without their support. In Trinidad, I thank from the bottom of my heart Robert and Helene, the pseudonymous owners of Signature Fashions, who gave me wide-ranging access to their factory as an unpaid employee on the shop floor. They allowed me to disrupt the production process as I made fumbling attempts to learn how to sew and to interview workers during working hours. Mostly, they left me alone to pursue my research project in their midst. Their openness and generosity made access to my field site unexpectedly easy. Because this book contains a great deal of critique, I have felt at times that I have repaid their kindness with disloyalty. I hope it is not taken that way. Signature Fashions is a different place than it was when I conducted fieldwork; the production process and workforce have changed considerably. I hope my commentary is taken as it is offered, with sincere gratitude and a continuing wish for dialogue. Thanks to the workers at Signature Fashions, who made me feel their workplace was equally my own. As my intended six months of factory eth- nography turned into seven, then eight, then nine, I found it very hard to ix This content downloaded from (cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)128.111.121.42 on Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:33:41 UTC(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0)(cid:0) All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms

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