ABSTRACT

The political economy of housing in Australia is in flux; households increasingly engage in the housing market as a way to manage social and financial risks. Addressing a lack of empirical research on household decision-making, we interviewed 40 owners and renter households in Melbourne. Participants understood the role of housing as a financial asset; this was enacted through their adoption of the position of a neoliberal investor subject engaged in speculative investment and rational calculation of risks and rewards. Renters were conscious of living in their landlord's investment. However, some participants also articulated active resistance to speculative investment in the housing market, and their commitment to the use value of housing and other meanings of home. This examination of the feelings and practices of participants within the housing market provided new insights into the ways that neoliberal ideology and financialization processes are currently shaping Australia.

摘要

澳大利亚住房的政治经济瞬息万变；家庭越来越多地参与房地产市场，以此作为管理社会和金融风险的一种方式。针对家庭决策缺乏实证研究的问题，我们采访了墨尔本的 40 个业主和租户家庭。参与者了解住房作为金融资产的作用；这是通过他们采取新自由主义投资者主体的立场来制定的，该主体从事投机性投资和理性计算风险和回报。租房者意识到生活在房东的投资中。不过，也有部分与会者表达了对住房市场投机性投资的积极抵制，以及对住房使用价值和家的其他意义的承诺。