Paper Short Abstract:

The notion of Esoteric Economies refers to the informal economy surrounding esoteric practices and the exchanges occurring within these ritual and religious settings. Often socially stigmatized, esoteric economies may seem at the margins of societies while being culturally at their center.

Paper Abstract:

The term Esoteric Economies refers to the informal economy surrounding esoteric practices as well as the esoteric nature of the exchanges that occur within these ritual and religious settings. The social stigma frequently attached to esoteric practices means that they also are associated with morally suspect pursuits and marginalized populations. At the same time, esoteric economies create significant networks through which material and non-material items flow and social relationships are established.

However, when the economy is understood only in terms of institutionalized transactions and commodity exchanges, esoteric economies remain invisible and unrecognized. Nevertheless, they are significant to their participants and to the more dominant economic order. A significant example of this is when esoteric exchanges provide access to globalized networks through which migrants seek work in the formal economy, enabling them to participate in economic exchanges on a global scale through migration and remittances .

Drawing on two case studies from Brazil and Senegal, we will illustrate the significance of esoteric economies that often seem at the margins of society while being culturally at their center.