The more‐than‐human production of material dis/advantage: A Russian case study

Abstract

AbstractApplying a new materialist analysis, this paper reports findings from a qualitative study of young workers in contemporary Russia to address how more‐than‐human materialities can be materially affective in the workplace, producing and reproducing context‐specific capacities and incapacities. Social advantages and disadvantages derive from these disparities in capacities: what bodies can do economically, socially, physically, psychologically and politically. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 37 Russian workers aged 16–29 from the Ural Federal District of western Siberia: of these, 16 respondents worked in industry, while 21 were in retail and service sectors. The data revealed a wide range of non‐human matter that affected respondents’ capacities, producing opportunities and constraints on their work and development. Some of these everyday “tiny dis/advantages” may accrue over time into more lasting advantage or disadvantage. We conclude that – alongside economic resources and social support – the myriad interactions with non‐human matter in workplaces contribute to relative dis/advantage. We suggest that a focus on tiny dis/advantages both complements and refines conventional sociocultural analyses of material dis/advantage and social inequality.