Everyday Life in Austerity by Sarah Marie Hall

Author:Sarah Marie Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030170943
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Their communications about the arrangement seemed awkward, fragmented across text messages, emails and brief conversations in person. I even noted in my field diary that I was ‘getting the feeling Kerry was becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation’, as well as a concern that she was ‘investing a lot in this arrangement going ahead’ (field diary, March 2014). Payment for this informal, familial childcare added new dimensions to this sibling relationship, tied up with personal conditions of austerity and a distinct need for the extra cash, given the difference it would make to Kerry and Dan’s monthly income.

It also seemed that the intricacies of their relationship and the power dynamics fuelled by monetary exchange were part of the tensions emerging. Kerry knew she was offering her sister a service for a price she would not be able to get anywhere else. A nursery or a childminder would be ‘too expensive … it wouldn’t be worth her going back to work’ (taped discussion, April 2014). She was also jeopardising her benefits by taking cash-in-hand payments and not declaring it, similar to Zoe working for her friend cash-in-hand, as discussed in the previous chapter (also see Chap. 5). Kerry would be receiving ‘just fifty pounds a week. So it only works out a tenner a day’ (taped discussion, October 2014), and was already mentally allocating this extra money to future expenses:Kerry:

If she gives me money in June … no, when will I get him? June, July … no … yeah, it is June. So I can book a holiday in July then.

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