Living and Livelihoods: ICTs and the Blurring Domestic and Economic Spheres in Emerging Economies

For many people in emerging markets, money is tight, and not always where or what it seems. Even among India’s growing middle class, informal connections, handshake and deals, distributed family ties and local social networks might be as important in the maintenance of a household income (and livelihood) as formal advertisements, contracts, or bank accounts. Home businesses are common, either to augment or replace salaried or wage labor (Mead & Leidholm, 1998).