This article investigates the unique economic practices of Slab City, California, an off‐grid community that rejects mainstream US values. Despite operating within the broader US economic system, Slab City residents have developed alternative forms of exchange, using cigarettes and cannabis alongside US dollars. The article examines the symbolic meanings associated with these alternative currencies, arguing that their value derives from symbolic gestures of trust and solidarity, reflecting a rejection of surplus value extraction and an embrace of shared economic experience. The analysis dives into Slab City's moral economy, highlighting the community's reliance on collective action for resource provisioning, such as weekly rituals of free meals, communal water tanks, and group efforts in resource acquisition and distribution. Contrasting Slab City's internal economic practices with the exploitative practices of the investor–state nexus in surrounding towns, the article underscores the community's commitment to mutual aid and challenges to capitalist norms. Finally, the article highlights the fluidity of monetary forms and the potential for alternative currencies to emerge within specific social contexts.

中文翻译：

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超越供需：Slab City 价格形成的道德经济学


本文调查了加利福尼亚州 Slab City 的独特经济实践，这是一个拒绝美国主流价值观的离网社区。尽管在更广泛的美国经济体系内运作，但 Slab City 的居民已经开发了替代形式的交换，使用香烟和大麻以及美元。文章研究了与这些替代货币相关的象征意义，认为它们的价值来自信任和团结的象征性姿态，反映了对剩余价值榨取的拒绝和对共享经济经验的接受。该分析深入探讨了 Slab City 的道德经济，强调了社区对集体行动提供资源的依赖，例如每周免费用餐的仪式、公共水箱以及资源获取和分配的集体努力。文章将 Slab City 的内部经济实践与周边城镇投资者-国家关系的剥削行为进行了对比，强调了该社区对互助的承诺和对资本主义规范的挑战。最后，本文强调了货币形式的流动性以及在特定社会背景下出现替代货币的可能性。