3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Survival in a collapsing economy: a case study of informal trading at a Zimbabwean flea market(2010-06-07T08:59:50Z) Tamukamoyo, HamadziripiAbstract The central concern of this study is the nature of informal economic activities among urban traders in Harare, Zimbabwe. The study focuses on a particular flea market and describes the precarious lives of a sample of informal traders. It is shown that, as through much of Africa, the market is a social as well as an economic nexus. It is not only the site of economic production and exchange constituting the survivalist activities that are increasingly important in the collapsing Zimbabwe economy, but also the site of diverse social relations. The thesis also shows that the formal and informal are part of the same deeply segmented economy and not two distinct, separate economies. The extended case study method is used to describe and analyse the nature of informal trading activities among traders dealing in four types of goods commonly found at the flea market: clothes and shoes, DVDs and video games, arts and crafts, and second-hand books. Primary and secondary sources, interviews with policy experts, researchers and activists, a total of 70 semi-structured interviews with traders and participant observation, over a period of one and a half years were used to obtain data on the nature of the informal economy in the current Zimbabwe crisis, and to profile these traders. The thesis describes the daily lives of the traders, their social characteristics and work histories, and the social relations of trust and reciprocity which enable them to source their goods. It is shown that the majority of the traders live an extremely precarious existence marked by low, unstable incomes. However, they should not be viewed as passive victims of the economic crisis, as they demonstrate qualities of resourcefulness and innovation. Nor are they totally excluded from global circuits of production and exchange. Global connections are identified and shown to be relevant to the sourcing and sale of goods. These connections suggest an alternative way of conceptualising globalisation.Item The network approach to urban regeneration: The case of Yeoville(2008-05-14T10:47:23Z) Farouk, Mahomed IsmailAbstract Yeoville presents a particular context of the inner city in decline and has been identified by the city as a suburb in need of regeneration. In 2004, The Yeoville Rockey/Raleigh High Street Development was conceived as the urban regeneration strategy for the upgrading of the suburb. The objectives of this strategy were to upgrade strategic public facilities and to improve urban management of the area over a period of five years. Through the prioritisation of a privatised urban management system, the aim was to attract a new middle class back into Yeoville (gentrification). However, the absence of a plan for dealing with the socio-economic challenges faced by the existing poorer residents has leads to cultural and class conflicts. International experience has shown that in order to achieve the long-term, strategic regeneration of poorer neighbourhoods, social networks and community development should be prioritised. An effective regeneration strategy should budget for capacity building from the outset and should involve citizens in the design and decision making process in order to ensure that the needs of all the local actors are met and that all possible resources are mobilised. At the forefront of this approach are alternative methodologies like social network analysis, which aim to reconnect the social, cultural and economic dimensions of society to rhythms of space and time. The focus on the mapping of existing social capital resources helps to pinpoint the opportunities, and constraints presented within neighbourhoods and ultimately guide the restructuring process in a meaningful and relevant way.Item Language and livelihoods in Johannesburg: Cameroonians income generating strategies(2008-03-28T12:47:00Z) Katende, KalambayABSTRACT This research investigates how language affects the livelihoods of migrants and their use of social networks for income generation in Johannesburg. The study focuses on the Cameroonians, a community constituted by two main linguistic groups: Francophones and Anglophones. It explores the historic process of migration into the Republic of South Africa, the motivations behind the choice of the inner city of Johannesburg by Cameroonians, and it differentiates the type of social networks in which Cameroonians in this study engage in. The research report also explores how language shapes social networks among Cameroonians living in the inner city of Johannesburg. Findings of this study reveal that language does not have a direct effect on livelihoods as almost all Cameroonians migrants interviewed in this study are able to speak both English and French. It nevertheless, shapes the respondents’ opportunities and strategies as many rely on linguistic communities to access information, get social assistance, and find jobs. This study found that Cameroonians living in the inner city of Johannesburg use intra-linguistic social networks more than inter-linguistic group social networks for their income generating strategies. It also demonstrates the importance that language has in the lives of these respondents. The study is based on non-representative sample of Cameroonians living in Johannesburg. It used a multi-methods approach including in-depth face-to-face interviews and written sources such as journals, books and research reports were combined to gather relevant data. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data.Item Gender social networks and income generation among Congolese migrants in Johannesburg(2007-02-16T13:29:22Z) Monche, FelixA significant number of refugees and asylum seekers are living in urban areas in developing countries. In addition to the fact that they receive little assistance from international organizations, host government policies represent obstacles to their livelihoods. Generally, the economic behaviour, reasons for migrating and experiences of female migrants often differ from those of male. This research report examines the impact of gender on social networks and how gender might influence access to income. In contrast to other studies on social networks that focus on the social relationships between individuals and communities located in sending and receiving societies, this study produces greater understanding of urban migrants’ livelihoods by exploring how women use social networks to generate income and contrasting these with those of men. This is rooted in the assumption that women refugees are facing additional challenges to livelihood including their social responsibilities and job stereotyping. To document how gender might influence social networks and access to income, qualitative data collected through semi structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews among Congolese refugees in Johannesburg was used. Findings reveal that gender does not have impact on the nature of social networks used by Congolese men and women to facilitate their access to income generating activities. However, friendships and social relations among Congolese refugees are based on gender and as a result Congolese refugees may be channelled in gender-dominated occupations. Congolese women are facing specific challenges such as domestic labour and child care that may limit their access to jobs and businesses.