The Sharing Economy and Social Capital: The Fictional Expectations of Sociality in a Time Bank

This article looks at time banking ­– a system of exchange in which people trade services with one another using instead money as currency. Time is framed from social work perspective innovation that contributes to poverty alleviation and increasing inclusion. However, most such organizations fail institutionalize care providers within the first three years. In this paper, I discuss rare success story—a bank Nizhny Novgorod, fourth largest city Russia—which has been functioning for over 15 years positioned itself non-charitable organization. engage sharing economy studies—a growing but ambiguous field—to explain Novgorod. Research mostly concentrated on two extreme cases: business-to-customer operations or grassroots communities practicing radical alternatives market exchange. The case studies have united by an assumption would generate capital. there limited evidence support claim. article, aim test hypothesis explore whether informal networks, norms reciprocity trust are fostered among members Novgorod factors sustainability association. study informed 22 in-depth interviews gatekeepers community. interviews, paid attention socio-demographic characteristics participants structure their capital; mode practiced community (the volume, direction, range services, relatedness professional activities other spheres life); value set worldview (egalitarianism, altruism, justice); indicators generalized trust. Results revealed bankers do not tend create strong sustainable relationships outside framework put forward following explanatory hypothesis: calculativeness bankers, market-driven valuations ‘egalitarian’ service unilateral attitude conflict longing Gemeinschaft—a bonding interdependence based mutuality. association failed provide conditions emerge. attempt simultaneously tightly bonded community, still answer needs digital age resulted pastiche platform. Beyond hand, theorizes rhetoric reality summarizing grounds expectations generating capital explains why certain could be met.