The name is absent

89

I came across an example of this in 2003 in interviews with vendors and shoppers
at open-air farmer’s markets across Athens (the λαtκη). This was a time when the prices
of food and commodities were fluctuating due to Greece’s adoption of the Euro and
perceived deeper integration into European and international markets. The vendors I
spoke with agreed that the price individuals were willing to pay for produce was
becoming less associated, as it once was, with the reputation of the villages that grew it⁸⁹
and the vendor’s ability to attract customers. According to these individuals it was
therefore difficult to maintain a particular price point by way of traditional selling
strategies that rely on these value markers like the Iiyper-Greek identity performance. As
Herzfeld (1986) notes, farmer’s markets are a site where the symbols of traditional Greek
identity such as the public performance of masculinity choreographed to lyrical taunts
delivered between vendors evoking honor and shame are a defining characteristic.
Instead, haggling shoppers had made it clear that the price of produce was being set
largely by the advertisements of multinational grocery chains and the new economic
pressures endured by the middle class: there was a shift in subjective valuation criteria
from traditional national∕cultural markers to quality/quantity per Euro. As one vendor
with a languishing stack of peaches put it:

Eiμαι εξυπvoς κaι φωvaζω πιo δυvaτa aπ^,τoυς aλλoυς aλλa εχω βoυva εδω!
Γιaτi δεv εpχovτaι σε μεva - τr, δηλaδf∣, δεv εχω κaλa φpoυτa? Toυς κλεβω?
'Oλo ζητavε <<κaλυτεpες>> τιμες. ∆εv εiμaι σoυπεpμapκετ εδω. ∆εv μπopω va
δtvω εκπτωση σε oλoυς. Aμav πιa, εvaς 'Eλληvaς ε(μaι. ∆oυλευω γιa τo ψωμaκι
μoυ φiλε. 'Oλoι εχoυμε πpoβλημaτa oικovoμικa, 6μως - ελa τωpa - τι θελoυv
πιa ... Kaπoτε εpχovτoυσav σ^,εμεva γιa τa κaλυτεpa φpoυτa - <<στov Aκη γιa
poδaκιva ωpaia aπ^,τη Bεpoιa ». Tωpa πavε στov Maριvoπoυλo.

⁸⁹ These place-specific discourses are laden with traditional nationalist∕sovereignist rhetoric such as
achieving success∕quality through perseverance and hard work, links to innovative generations-old clever
processes, and superiority of product tied to the unique natural quality of place.

<<   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>

More intriguing information