The purpose of the current study was to determine the constraints to and opportunities for organising the gendered home-based care sector in post apartheid South Africa. Also the gender aspect of care work has been closely examined and the study has revealed that societal stereotypes that view care work as women work in the private sphere have to a greater extent contributed to the devaluation of care work in both society and as a form of paid care work. Qualitative research methodology was used in the form of documentary analysis, interviews and participant observation. The research findings demonstrate that unions themselves, resources and legislation/ policy issues pose as major barriers to organising these atypical workers. Generally, most unions are not yet ready to embrace informal workers into the mainstream as it entails innovation of new organising strategies that could be out of their comfort zone, the pumping out of a vast amount of resources and the avoidance of the huge obligation of breaking through legal barriers. Grassroot mobilising around gender needs has been proposed as the most appropriate strategy for organising the newly emerging mobile and precarious workforce which comprises principally of women. An undeniable link between the formal and informal economy has also been confirmed as formal institutions such as NGOs, hospital, clinics and private companies through the Expanded Public Works Programme here in South Africa make use of informal labour to execute their obligations in the HBC sector. From a gender perspective, this study argues that female jobs are despised by society let alone trade unions where democracy and gender sensitivity should be practiced. Devaluation of female jobs herein care work could be the reason why NEHAWU has taken too long to organise the HBC sector. Finally, results of the study have demistified the societal stereotypes that female jobs are difficult to organise as HBC workers were more than willing to join NEHAWU.

Thesis (M.M. (Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2013. / With the growth of developing nations there has also been a growth in the need to recognize entrepreneurship and market-driven solutions as tools that can be used to bring the people in these developing nations out of poverty. If technology is widely adopted and accepted in a society, the long-term impact on that society can be more effective than any other social force. A great example of this phenomenon is the explosive growth of mobile devices technology that has infiltrated every part of the world and in all levels of the economic pyramid as they can play a large and critical role in social transformations in developed and developing economies (Lee et al 2010). Since the introduction of the mobile phone in Zimbabwe in 1996, there are 9,527,520 users of mobile phones. .A mobile banking platform, Eco-Cash, was launched by Econet Wireless, a cellular phone network provider at the end of 2011. This platform was launched in order to take advantage of a large identified gap in the Zimbabwean economy (Makunike 2013). At the end of 2012 there were 270 000 active users and 1.5 million registered users of the Eco-Cash MPP (Kabweza 2012). This study is of the perceptions and adoption of Mobile Payment Platforms (MPP) by informal entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe and employs the use of an adapted version of the Technology Acceptance Model, developed by F. Davis in his doctoral thesis in 1985, as the research framework. The model has been modified by different researchers over the years. Data collection for this study was administered telephonically to the informal entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe and this study only used primary data sources. This data was extracted from the respondents answering the telephonic surveys. This research found that although informal entrepreneurs, who are either personal or business users or non-users of the MPP are positively disposed, in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived cost, perceived support, perceived social influence, overall trust and perceived overall risk, this disposition may not necessarily lead to the increased usage of the MPP by informal entrepreneurs iv in Zimbabwe. However, perceived ease of use proved to be the exception, as the research study showed that the more informal entrepreneurs perceived the MPP to be simple and easy to use, this perception may lead to the increase in the perceptions and adoption of MPP. As this is one of few studies that to look into the adoption of MPP in Zimbabwe, this study serves as the foundation for future research in Zimbabwe that pertains to the adoption of MPP by entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe‟s formal and informal economy.

The main aim of the study was to explore the resident's perception of urban integration or integration of the settlement with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) in terms of the economic, spatial, political, environmental and social aspects.In order to accomplish this aim, data were gathered from a sample of twelve Dukhatole informal settlement residents in the EMM. A research questionnaire was used as the main instrument of data collection. Collected data were analysed qualitatively using both coding and thematic formats.The findings of the study demonstrated that Dukathole informal settlement is spatially, economically, and socially integrated with the EMM. More importantly it is the physical location of the community that has ensured the the Dukathole informal settlement is economically and socially integrated with the EMM city. These results led to the conclusion that the proposed government processes to relocate Dukathole informal settlement to distant areas will disintegrate or exclude this community from the EMM city. It was also discovered that the majority of the respondents are unemployed and involved in the informal sector of the economy with less income. This automatically excludes them from the formal housing processes as they could not afford. Based on the foregoing finding it was concluded that formal rental accommodation does not and will not cater for the urban poor.

Faculty of Humaninties And Social Sciences School of Social Sciences 0003962g anele30@hotmail.com / This research report covers the progress of local economic development in Alexandra under the Alexandra Renewal Project and what the government has done (or is doing) to assist women street traders. It begins by looking back at the history of development in Alexandra, followed by an overview of Urban Renewal Programme which guides the Alexandra Renewal Project whose LED components forms a crucial part of this report. The report reviews the literature on the informal sector and the policy that guides the development and promotion of the sector in South Africa. After reviewing literature on the informal sector, the report turns to local economic development literature, arguing for a more ‘developmental” role that the government should take towards LED initiatives in the country. The research findings that follow provide my opinions and those of different stakeholders involved in the LED initiatives and those that are affected by the initiatives, mainly women street traders in Alexandra.

This study aims to shed light on several vexing questions surrounding marijuana at various levels of analysis. Why have some states adopted medical laws when others have not, and what are the implications of these adoptions for elites at the federal level? Why are certain areas within states hotbeds of marijuana use and production? Why, in the face of serious penalties, do certain individuals continue to use, produce, and sell this particular drug? How is the marijuana market structured and how much economic impact does it have? Possible sociopolitical factors responsible for passage (or failure) of marijuana-related voter initiatives and legislation in states are examined and the process of policy diffusion occurring between states that adopt such measures is detailed. An analysis of geographic variations in medical cardholder rates in Oregon is conducted using longitudinal data. Using a Respondent-Driven Sample and a detailed survey of legal and illegal marijuana users in Oregon, I identify differences between the two groups, elucidate differences between marijuana users and the general population, and estimate the economic impact of marijuana on Oregon's informal economy. Overall, the study finds that innovative, Democratically dominated states tend to pass medical marijuana laws and are the most at risk of doing so in the future. Within Oregon, county-level participation in the medical marijuana program is associated with Democratic party members, unemployment rates, and timber harvest levels. The Oregon marijuana market consists of a robust network of small producers, with individual users primarily managing distribution of the drug. Economic estimates indicate that the legalization of marijuana could generate between $37 million and $153 million per year in taxes for the state. Finally, historical evidence suggests that legalization of this drug could lead to its control; however, doing so could structurally transition the market from a robust network of small producers into tight oligopolic control by a limited number of producers, thereby disenfranchising small, artisan growers, communities traditionally reliant on marijuana for revenue, consumers who seek variety, and the plant's genetic diversity.

Thesis advisor: Can Erbil / Violence against women and subsequent gender-based violence are issues that plague the world, harming women’s wellbeing as well as that of their families. Thirty-nine percent and twenty-one percent of Kenyan women have experienced physical and sexual violence, respectively, in their lifetimes. While there have been contested studies showing that employment can both increase and decrease the risk of suffering from violence, particularly in domestic settings, this study examines how a Kenyan woman’s experience of violence is likely to affect her level (formal or informal) of employment in the future. The results of this study indicate that emotional abuse, having a partner that drinks, educational attainment, living in a rural setting, and age are significant factors in a woman’s probability of working. Conditioned on working, experiencing controlling behaviors from a partner, educational attainment, justification of violence, ethnicity, income rank, partner’s occupation, and age at first marriage influence a woman’s probability of working informally. These results vary based on the type of employment studied, but can have wide-ranging consequences for the economic development of Kenya and empowerment of Kenyan women. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Economics.

Thesis advisor: Kathleen Bailey / The slums of Cairo are a relatively new addition to Cairo. A product of urbanization and Western Structural Adjustment and economic liberalization programs, the slums are built on squatter land on the periphery of Cairo. From their inception, the slums have been informal and as a result, residents lack the resources to change their situation. I will argue that schools must be developed in the slums. These schools cannot be schools similar to other schools in Egypt, but instead must be a product of the slums. These community schools must be developed and run by the residents of the slums to produce change. I argue that these community schools would not only increase educational levels and quality within the slums but would also serve as a means to political and social change. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Islamic Civilization and Societies. / Discipline: Islamic Civilization and Societies Honors Program.

Dados los altos niveles de informalidad en Perú y las diversas políticas que se han aplicado para reducir su tamaño, la discusión académica ha discutido sobre la naturaleza del empleo informal y sobre sus determinantes. Sin embargo, los estudios previos han tenido limitaciones en cuanto a la consideración de heterogeneidad en el mercado laboral, incorrecta especificación en la función de comportamiento, sesgo de selección de participación en el mercado de trabajo y endogeneidad por autoselección al empleo formal e informal. Esta tesis emplea un modelo que corrige los anteriores supuestos, verifica la hipótesis de segmentación o multisegmentación del mercado laboral, calcula el porcentaje de trabajadores informales involuntarios y evalúa algunos factores pecuniarios y no pecuniarios asociados a la elección del empleo informal durante el periodo 2012-2016. Los resultados confirman la hipótesis de mercados laborales multisegmentados. Además, en la población de asalariados urbanos del sector privado, existe entre 9 y 13% de trabajadores informales involuntarios respecto del total de trabajadores informales. Asimismo, la educación, especialmente la superior, reduce la probabilidad de ser informal mientras que la tenencia de un seguro diferente del trabajo aumenta la probabilidad de ser informal. Por último, la carga familiar disminuye la probabilidad de ser asalariado informal / Tesis

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of carers of family members dying at home with particular reference to their expectations and preparedness for the dying process. It was a qualitative, longitudinal study which initially followed a grounded theory approach. However, as a theatrical metaphor became apparent from the data the approach changed to dramaturgical analysis. Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen carers before and after the death of their family member. Carers were found to be performing a leading role in home palliative care but they experienced a universal sense of uncertainty and of being unrehearsed for their role in the dying process. They were reluctant to seek information to give them a script for their performance because it was painful and difficult to contemplate their family member dying. They needed the direction of health professionals and the support of paid carers but had variable experiences of these services. Carers’ performance types were also variable but tended to be towards the combative or the pragmatic end of a continuum. Their experience was illuminated through the dramaturgical metaphor of a play called the Carer’s Initiation. The climax of the play was the death of the family member followed by the finale in which they watch over the body until it is removed and they finally face a future without their family member. The carer’s initiation highlighted policy and practice implications for improving the preparation and support of carers for the dying process.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-03-30T00:02:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-11-23 / Over the last years, the world of work and the dinamic of the production process are going through changes, and more specifically, since the 1970s the old ways of production fordist/taylorist are reconfigured, this way, new production processes are evident, including informality. The term informality, from its origin, was used to define a wide range of activities involving workers in heterogeneous and precarious occupations . About the relationship between work and gender, the literature shows that despite the current achievements in recent decades, women's work is still permeated by numerous impediments, with a significant inclusion of women in undervalued jobs and lower incomes. In this context, we highlight the work of Brazilian sacoleira , women who work by themselves and travel to buy popular products to resell. This way, this research had as general objective to know the work of this sacoleira woman, and as especific objective, characterize the work of this woman; analyze the professional trajectory and insertion modes in the activity; portray the daily lives of these women through photography, identifying the working and living conditions for accomplishment of this activity. To conduct this study, an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research was conducted guided by the ethnographic method, which was attended by six sacoleiras women of three northeastern States: Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte e Piauí. The data collection was carried out through semi-structured individual interviews; observation and field diary, associated with this, it was used the photographic feature that had a foundation role in the methodological approach in the immersion process the researched field, in which it was possible to experience and photograph various scenes that specifically represent the labor of everyday sacoleira women. The images made were associted with the interviews with the aim of enhancing some of these women work visibilities. The results point to an eminently feminine and informal activity, with working conditions marked by a strong instability, insecurity and an intense work routine fraught with financial risks and life itself. All participants concile this work with the tasks of space in which happens to family life, which characterizes the strong gender segmentation that permeates the relationship work of sacoleira women being assigned to this a key factor: the time flexibility to reorder the personal and professional life. Given the above, it is considered that the ethnographic experience made possible to know aspects of the daily work of sacoleira women. Women are involved in this labor activity by the sense of financial independence and also to alleviate the poverty experienced by them. Thereby, the paper takes on a central role in the lives of these women to obtain income, especially , there is a great demand of physical and psychological stress on the challenges and faced adverse situations, which ultimately contributes subtly to the reproduction of capitalist relations. Keywords: Informal work. Sacoleira. Genre. Ethnography. Photography. / Nos últimos anos, o mundo de trabalho e a dinâmica do processo produtivo vêm passando por transformações. Mais especificamente, a partir da década de 1970, os velhos modos de produção fordista/taylorista se reconfiguraram, assim, novos processos produtivos se evidenciam, dentre eles, a informalidade. O termo informalidade, desde a sua origem, foi utilizado para definir um conjunto amplo de atividades que envolvem trabalhadores em ocupações heterogêneas e precárias. Acerca da relação trabalho e gênero, a literatura mostra que, apesar das conquistas vigentes nas últimas décadas, o trabalho feminino ainda é perpassado por inúmeros impedimentos, com uma inserção significativa de mulheres em postos de trabalho desvalorizados e com menores rendimentos. Nesse contexto, destaca-se o trabalho das sacoleiras brasileiras, nordestinas, que trabalham por conta própria e viajam em busca de comprar produtos populares para revender. Desse modo, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo geral conhecer o trabalho das mulheres sacoleiras. Como objetivos específicos, buscou caracterizar o trabalho dessas mulheres; analisar a trajetória profissional e os modos de inserção na atividade; retratar o cotidiano dessas mulheres através da fotografia, identificando as condições de trabalho e de vida para a realização dessa atividade. Para operacionalização desse estudo, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa exploratória, descritiva, de natureza qualitativa, pautada pelo método etnográfico, da qual participaram seis sacoleiras de três estados nordestinos: Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte e Piauí. A coleta de dados se deu através de entrevista individual semiestruturada; observação e diário de campo. Associado a isto, foi utilizado o recurso fotográfico que teve um papel fundamental no percurso metodológico no processo de imersão ao campo pesquisado, no qual foi possível vivenciar e fotografar diversas cenas que concretamente representam o cotidiano do laboral das sacoleiras. As imagens feitas foram associadas às entrevistas, com o intuito de intensificar algumas visibilidades do trabalho dessas mulheres. Os resultados apontam para uma atividade eminentemente feminina e informal, com condições de trabalho marcadas por uma forte precariedade, insegurança, com uma rotina intensa carregada de riscos financeiros e a própria vida. Todas as participantes conciliam essa atividade com as tarefas do espaço no qual se passa a vida familiar, o que caracteriza a forte segmentação de gênero que perpassa a relação trabalho das sacoleiras, sendo atribuído a este um fator fundamental: a flexibilidade de horário para reordenar a vida pessoal e profissional. Diante do exposto, considera-se que a experiência etnográfica possibilitou conhecer os aspectos do cotidiano de trabalho das mulheres sacoleiras. São mulheres implicadas nessa atividade laboral pelo sentimento de uma independência financeira e também de amenizar as condições de pobreza vividas por elas. Com isso, o trabalho assume uma centralidade na vida dessas mulheres para obtenção de renda, sobretudo, há uma grande demanda de esforço físico e psicológico diante dos desafios e situações adversas enfrentadas, o que acaba contribuindo de forma sutil para a reprodução das relações capitalistas. Palavras-chave: Trabalho informal. Sacoleira. Gênero. Etnografia. Fotografia.