In this study I explore two understudied aspects of India's informal economy, viz. the institutions that sustain informal knowledge, and gender disparities among self-employed workers using a combination of primary survey and interview methods as well as econometric estimation. The data used in the study come from the Indian National Sample Survey (NSS) as well as from fieldwork conducted in the city of Banaras (Varanasi) in North India. The vast majority of the Indian work-force is "uneducated" from a conventional point of view. Even when they have received some schooling, formal education rarely prepares individuals for employment. Rather, various forms of apprenticeships and on-the-job training are the dominant modes of knowledge acquisition. The institutions that enable creation and transfer of knowledge in the informal economy are poorly understood because informal knowledge itself is understudied. However, the rise of the so-called "Knowledge Society" has created a large literature on traditional and indigenous knowledge and has brought some visibility to the informal knowledge pos- sessed by peasants, artisans, and other workers in the informal economy. The present study extends this strand of research. In Chapter Two, taking the weaving indus- try as a case-study, work is introduced into the study of knowledge. Thus informal knowledge is studied in the context of the production relations that create and sustain it. Further, the family mode of production and apprenticeships are foregrounded as important institutions that achieve inter-generational transfer of knowledge at a low cost. Clustering of weaving firms ensures fast dissemination of new fabric designs and patterns which holds down monopoly rents. In Chapter Three taking advan- tage of a recently issued Geographical Indication (GI), an intellectual property right (IPR) that attempts to standardize the Banaras Sari to protect its niche in the face of powerloom-made imitation products, I investigate the likely effects of such an at- tempt to create craft authenticity. Through field observations and via interviews with weavers, merchants, State officials and NGO workers, I find that the criteria of authenticity have largely been developed without consulting artisans and as a result tend to be overly restrictive. In contrast, I find that weavers themselves have a more dynamic and fluid notion of authenticity. Homeworking women are widely perceived to be among the most vulnerable and exploited groups of workers. Piece-rates and undocumented hours of work hide ex- tremely low hourly wages and workers themselves are often invisible. Though women form a crucial part of the Banaras textile industry, to the outside observer they are invisible, both because they are in purdah and because women's work proceeds in the shadow of weaving itself, which is a male occupation. In Chapter Four, using field observations, interviews, and time-use analysis I show that women perform paid work for up to eight hours a day but are still seen as working in their spare time. Because the opportunity cost of spare time is zero, any wage above zero is deemed an improvement. Hourly wage rates in Banaras are found to be as low as eight to ten cents an hour, well below the legal minimum wage. In Chapter Five, I use Na- tional Sample Survey data on the informal textile industry to test the hypothesis that emerges from ethnographic work in Banaras. If women are indeed penalized for un- dertaking joint production of market and non-market goods, women working on their own without hired workers are expected to perform much worse than men working by themselves. I find that after accounting for differences in education, assets, working hours, occupation and other relevant variables, women working by themselves earn 52% less than their male counterparts. This gender penalty disappears in case of self- employed women who can afford to employ wage-workers. I also show that women in the informal economy are more likely to be engaged in putting-out or subcontracting arrangements and suffer a gender penalty as a result.

In the context of rapid urbanization, globalization, market liberalization, and growing flexibility of labor in the post-Fordist era, urban environments have seen economic opportunities and employment in the formal sector become increasingly less available to the vast majority of urban dwellers in both high-income and low-income countries. The intersectional forces of globalization, and neoliberalization have contributed to the ever-growing role of informal economic opportunities in providing the necessary income to fulfill household needs for individuals throughout the world and have also influenced social, cultural, and spatial organization of informal sector workers. Using a case study and ethnographic information from several regions of southern Ghana, this research examines the way in which informal sector food vendors in Ghana are imbedded in larger global food networks as well as how globalization is experienced by vendors at the ground level.

Cinco hipóteses explicam a permanência do trabalho informal nos espaços públicos do Centro de São Paulo como ocupação precária e vulnerável: 1- Incapacidade estrutural do mercado de trabalho formal de absorção de mão-de-obra: informalidade como processo mundial e exceção permanente no formato do capitalismo brasileiro; 2- Desconhecimento do comércio informal de rua como produção do espaço urbano: modificação de atributos espaciais: valorização, competição, posse, etc.); 3- Exploração oportunista da clandestinidade dos trabalhadores na forma de corrupção e clientelismo; 4- Marketing urbano e Segregação Espacial: articulação entre as elites locais, Poder Público e agências multilaterais no intuito de promover a revitalização do perímetro estudado, expulsam ou isolam sistematicamente os trabalhadores de rua; 5- Inoperância das políticas públicas: o conhecimento insuficiente ou parcial do comércio de rua resulta na formulação de políticas públicas descoladas da realidade e, portanto, inoperantes. A partir dessas hipóteses,foi possível pensar parâmetros para políticas públicas que superem a polarização entre intolerância e permissividade em relação à atividade. / Five hypotheses explain streetvending in downtown Sao Paulo as a precarious and a vulnerable occupation: 1- Structural impermeability of formal labor market: informal sector as a global process, and as a permanent exception in brazilian capitalism; 2- Lack of awareness of streetvending as a production of urban space: transformation of spatial attributes - profit, competitiveness, ownership, etc.; 3- Opportunist exploitation over clandestine street vendors: corruption and patronage; 4- Urban marketing strategies and Spatial segregation: partnership among government, ruling elite and multi-lateral financial agencies in order to improve urban renewal, frequently isolate and gentrify against street vendors; 5- Innefective public policies - lack of understanding of streetvending results in unlikely public policies. Assuming these hypotheses, this research built public policies directions in order to overcome contradiction between intolerance and permissiveness.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Sociology)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / The thesis, Gender, Structural Adjustment and Informal Economy Sector Trade in Africa: A Case Study of Women Workers in the Informal Sector of North West Province, South Africa, comprises of five chapters{PRIVATE } CHAPTER 1 is mainly introductory and deals specifically with the general orientation of the study as outlined in the background and problem statement. This chapter presents the motivation for the study, main aim and objectives and the significance of the study. It also deals with methodology and attendant problems. The chapter also addresses stages of research such as research design, population and sampling, data collection techniques, data analysis of this study. Finally the limitations of the study are outlined. CHAPTER 2 comprises the literature background for the study. The literature focuses largely on the theoretical orientation of the study and on the position of women in the economy. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is more general in the sense that it focuses on theorising gender using the gender approach to make a substantive argument. It also focuses on the different definitions of the informal economy sector and the impact of economic reform measures on women in the informal economy sector. This first part further argues the predominance of women in the informal economy sector. Attention in the literature is also focused on women’s employment opportunities in the informal sector and on the marginalization of women through economic reform measures introduced. Such reform measures have been advanced by government means to improve the economy. The second part attempts to illuminate some characteristics of informal work in South Africa. The unit of analysis here is women and their employment or underemployment in the economy. CHAPTER 3 focuses on the effects of macro-economic reform policies on women in the informal economy sector. This chapter discusses the current neo-liberal economic reforms (i.e. Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs); Growth Employment and Redistribution-GEAR) that have been imposed by governments all over Africa and beyond in areas such as Latin America and Asia. The chapter also indicates the negative effects of these on the poor (women in particular) and on why economic reforms have hit women hardest in the mainstream economy and in the informal sector. As a concluding argument and points raised, the chapter argues for alternative policy approaches that could be used as references to means of improving the lot of operators in the informal economy sector, especially with regard to women. The point raised in this chapter is that legislation alone does not change attitudes, traditions, trade relations and power relations. Thus, alternatives from a female perspective are outlined here to position the situation of women in terms of accessing resources in terms of the policy climate in South Africa in particular economically. From this perspective one can understand whether or not there is adequate protection and promotion of women’s rights in the economy. CHAPTER 4 consists of the empirical data for the study. The findings of the study from fieldwork on the impact of neo-liberal GEAR on women in the informal economy sector is reported, analyzed and relevant interpretations are made. The findings in this study are presented as raw totals and in percentages, where useful cross-tabulations are carried out to reflect the relevant data, which influenced the findings.Qualitative data analysis method is used to analyse data from in-depth interviews, audio and visual recordings. The data is coded and variables and their relationships are generated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Key words and phrases are categorised and underlined for the possibility of salient themes and summaries and possible explanatory statements are made. CHAPTER 5 gives a summary of the findings of the study and the implications thereof. A comparative survey of these findings and those discussed in the literature in chapter 2 is made. Finally, a conclusive statement is made and suggestions and recommendations for improving the informal economy sector as a valuable economic entity for women. The conclusion is that the informal economy sector does help to meet the needs of the general low income population while maintaining women’s economic activities to support their families. Thus, change on the thinking and application of socio- economic policies should start by fully refuting the more male oriented economic ideology premise on which current policy approach is based. / Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA)

The paper tries to analyze the tax reforms in new EU member states, and to understand how these developments came into existence. Despite several commonalities we argue that across country variation is very much present, especially in the areas of degree of dependence on indirect taxes as well as the share of each component in total tax revenue. Our preliminary evidence indicates that there are three identifiable groupings; Hungary, Slovenia and Czech Republic as the first, Poland and Slovakia as the second, and the rest of the countries as the third. From the clusters we claim that these differences reflect the underlying the structural characteristics of the economies, particularly the scope of the informal economy and the intensity of competition to attract foreign capital. The paper contributes to the literature in a number of ways. First, it gives a comprehensive overview of reforms and possible explanatory factors. Second, it attempts to categorize the transition countries according to the features of the tax systems adopted. Finally, it establishes a linkage between the informal sector, capital from external sources and why particular modifications were implemented. (author's abstract) / Series: Discussion Papers SFB International Tax Coordination

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:02:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1820163 bytes, checksum: be65a022190ff6336bc43ec22a2e653e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Growth in the informal economy is a troubling trend that is beginning to cause a split social consequence, the gradual demoralization of the tax collection system of the State, which formally begins with a minimum of legal norms the development of this economy, with construction space intended for that market. The Shopping Center Terceirão in João Pessoa-PB, is one of those buildings, which highlights the presence of some of these evangelical churches actively participating in business activities and through its symbolic power, direct marketers adherents of a particular sect to use a particular language that identify and heat sales. To understand the scale of representations and the reasons for those actions as well as their interaction with certain subjective signs, semiotic elements were used to compare with Weberian studies, taking into account the spread of Protestantism site, combined with the mercantile spirit, which comes to a "particular ethos" to the interaction of a capitalist conception / informal, with a religious ethics / mercantilist. The study was based on an ethnographic research whose overall objective was to analyze from the transdisciplinarity: religion, morality and economics, the behavior of this triad in the face of an ethical nature of Calvinist religious employed by those churches. As data collection instruments were used participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the adoption of ethics that binds a particular religious doctrine with a need, is characterized by the imperative to rationalize the feelings that governs the social and personal relationships of the group and acts as a legitimate element of these churches, therefore, the interaction the dynamics of the informal market with religious agents there is a dichotomous relationship between ideas an interests of the group / O Crescimento da informalidade na economia é um fenômeno inquietante que começa a provocar uma cisão social de conseqüências imprevisíveis, pela paulatina desmoralização do sistema de arrecadação tributária do Estado, que começa formalizar com um mínimo de normatização jurídica o desenvolvimento dessa economia paralela, com a construção de espaços destinados a esse mercado. O Shopping Centro Terceirão em João Pessoa-PB, é uma dessas construções, que chama atenção pela presença de algumas igrejas evangélicas participando ativamente dessas atividades mercantis e através de sua força simbólica, direciona os comerciantes adeptos de uma determinada vertente religiosa a usar uma linguagem peculiar que os identificam e aquecem as suas vendas. Para compreender a dimensão das representações e dos motivos dessas ações, bem como sua interação subjetiva com determinados signos, foram utilizados elementos semióticos para comparar com estudos Weberianos, levando em consideração a propagação do protestantismo local, aliado a esse espírito mercantil, que vem a dar um ―ethos particular a essa interação de uma concepção capitalista/informal, com uma ética religiosa/mercantilista. O Estudo teve como base uma pesquisa etnográfica, cujo objetivo geral foi analisar a partir da transdisciplinariedade: religião, moral e economia, o comportamento dessa tríade frente a uma ética religiosa de cunho Calvinista empregada por aquelas igrejas. Como instrumentos de coleta de dados foram utilizados a Observação Participante e Entrevistas Semi-Estruturadas. Os resultados apontaram que, a ética que vincula adoção de uma determinada doutrina com uma necessidade religiosa, é caracterizada pelo imperativo de racionalização dos sentimentos que rege as relações sociais e pessoais do grupo, bem como age como elemento legitimador dessas igrejas, portanto, na interação da dinâmica do mercado informal com os agentes religiosos existe uma relação dicotômica entre idéias e interesses do grupo

Cinco hipóteses explicam a permanência do trabalho informal nos espaços públicos do Centro de São Paulo como ocupação precária e vulnerável: 1- Incapacidade estrutural do mercado de trabalho formal de absorção de mão-de-obra: informalidade como processo mundial e exceção permanente no formato do capitalismo brasileiro; 2- Desconhecimento do comércio informal de rua como produção do espaço urbano: modificação de atributos espaciais: valorização, competição, posse, etc.); 3- Exploração oportunista da clandestinidade dos trabalhadores na forma de corrupção e clientelismo; 4- Marketing urbano e Segregação Espacial: articulação entre as elites locais, Poder Público e agências multilaterais no intuito de promover a revitalização do perímetro estudado, expulsam ou isolam sistematicamente os trabalhadores de rua; 5- Inoperância das políticas públicas: o conhecimento insuficiente ou parcial do comércio de rua resulta na formulação de políticas públicas descoladas da realidade e, portanto, inoperantes. A partir dessas hipóteses,foi possível pensar parâmetros para políticas públicas que superem a polarização entre intolerância e permissividade em relação à atividade. / Five hypotheses explain streetvending in downtown Sao Paulo as a precarious and a vulnerable occupation: 1- Structural impermeability of formal labor market: informal sector as a global process, and as a permanent exception in brazilian capitalism; 2- Lack of awareness of streetvending as a production of urban space: transformation of spatial attributes - profit, competitiveness, ownership, etc.; 3- Opportunist exploitation over clandestine street vendors: corruption and patronage; 4- Urban marketing strategies and Spatial segregation: partnership among government, ruling elite and multi-lateral financial agencies in order to improve urban renewal, frequently isolate and gentrify against street vendors; 5- Innefective public policies - lack of understanding of streetvending results in unlikely public policies. Assuming these hypotheses, this research built public policies directions in order to overcome contradiction between intolerance and permissiveness.

In the last decade Zimbabwe has faced serious political, social and economic challenges which have affected the ordinary citizen. Among the economic challenges is the rapid growth of the informal economy which has become the main employer for most people. This growth is attributable to the shrinking formal economy which has left many people jobless and fighting to survive. The alternative is the informal economy which is accommodating millions of Zimbabweans providing a source of income and form of livelihood. Women tend to be overrepresented in the informal economy and among them is a sub-group of women who head households. Women headed households are among the poorest people in the world. The aim of this study was to determine and explore how the informal economy impacts on social and economic development of women headed households. This aim was realised through contextualizing WHH within a social and economic development framework; determining the nature and extent of the informal economy in Zimbabwe; conducting an empirical study which explored and determined the impact made by the informal economy in the social and economic development of WHH in Chegutu urban area of Zimbabwe and research findings, conclusions and recommendations were made to support women involved in the informal economy. A qualitative approach was utilised in the study and the case study was used as the research design. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. The targeting and snowball sampling methods were used to identify respondents. Findings from the study indicated that women headed households in the informal economy benefit from the sector. They are self-employed, it is their main source of income, main form of livelihood which caters for all their household necessities, it brings in sustainable livelihood and it has enhanced their self-esteem and economic independence. The informal economy however, posits many challenges for women headed households. For instance it creates many health and economic hardships. The informal economy lacks security, organisation, recognition, social protection and legal representation. There is lack of government and institutional support and resources are inaccessible to most women headed households. The study concluded that integrated social and economic development is the key to the eradication of poverty. Opportunities for active participation in the economy combined with sound social policy are critical for the empowerment of women headed households. Based on the findings and conclusions, recommendations were made to the government, municipality and NGOs to be more supportive of women headed households. This can be done by forming partnerships that focus on skills development to enhance human capital, develop poverty eradication strategies that are informed by social development framework, creating awareness of resources through information centres, subsidising education, medical care and rentals and engaging financial institutions to offer capital and credit facilities. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The low-lying Baixa area of Maputo, is the historic and current city centre of Maputo. The district is an important transport hub, and business centre of Mozambique. The Mercado Central de Maputo (Maputo Central Market), is the only infrastructure provided in support of the micro-enterprisers and traders of the city. The Central Market has reached capacity, and informal street markets have developed to the north. These have become fractured and disconnected from facilities that allow for clean, comfortable, hygienic trade, and a healthier business environment. The architectural proposal offers a solution to the current inadequate trader infrastructure, while also recognizing the area’s heritage and economic significance. The fluxing character of the market is also important in the design. Promotion of micro-enterprise and consequent economic growth will be achieved through an upgrade and expansion of market related facilities. This will allow a greater number of marginalised vendors formal recognition and legitimacy. The intervention will act as a catalyst project in the urban regeneration, through the consolidation of the fractured market areas. Increasing the market’s drawing power on potential customers will promote the Central Market as a destination within its own right. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Architecture / unrestricted

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The Quarterly Labour Force survey by Statistics South Africa (2019) portrays a very bleak future for the South African economy and labour force. The unemployment rate is 27.6% and youth unemployment stands at 55.2%. The National Development Plan (NDP) recognises the relevance of the informal sector and the value that it will contribute to the economy and to solving the challenges of unemployment in South Africa. The NDP projects that the informal sector, which includes domestic work, will create between 1,2 and 2 million new jobs by 2030. Few studies have been conducted on informal trading projects. This study explores the case of a ‗transitional‘ informal enterprise support project aimed at micro-enterprise development wherein 10 informal traders in Cape Town took occupancy of provincial government-sponsored kiosks on 9 May 2016. The Long Street kiosks (LSK) offer 10 traders per year a unique trading opportunity in the CBD free of rent and service charges for a period of one year, with access to a unique and potentially large market. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the role played in the informal enterprise development project by the Western Cape provincial government through its project manager, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT). This research attempts to investigate aspects of project design such as the selection criteria of the informal traders for the project, and selected results such as whether the project provided the traders with enough market exposure to the formal economy and whether their businesses were improved by participation in the project. The qualitative research approach was used for this study of the LSK project, which was a single case study, as both a unit of analysis and as a research method. The study involved a combination of two approaches, namely desktop research followed by interviews and focus group sessions. The study found that a number of limitations and shortcomings in the conduct of the project impacted on the mixed results and success achieved, pertaining to selection criteria, lack of financial and other resources, training, market-related problems, skill set limitations as well as environmental factors such as transport. The study nevertheless cast useful light on potential changes and recommendations that could enhance the project going forward and provides new insights on the complex relationship between the informal and formal economies and their relative potential for addressing the challenges of employment and economic growth.