Corridor of Hope Readings

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Similarly, this suspended bridge

is

much more suitable than the

ordinary concrete one where seasonal flood and overflowing

of

rivers

make it quite unfit to the needs

of

village dwellers. Concrete bridges

often get severely damaged or blown away in bad weather.

It would be interesting to sit down and talk with this woman to know

more in details how she wins her livelihood daily as she maintains her

balance in juggling all these chores coming to her from so many different

levels and angles. However, what is clear in this subsistence economy is

the ability

of

this actor to remain open and vigilant in order to improvise

tools and methods in an environment that

is

naturally demanding and

cannot be easily codified into routine practice.

Section

f ; G ~

Simple

Means o Production in the

Informal Economy:

Carpet-

Wool Tripod

Milk Shaker

Tripod

and A

New Room

T

his tripod with apparent simple structure is used to

p rform

multifaceted functions in the household economy with products that

eventfully find their ways to urban markets. First, it works to hold the

sheep's wool in proper position to be dried for dying. In the next stage,

the wool-threads will go into the making of famous Carpets for its

endurance and resilience under adverse climate. The local residents prepare

the threads by cutting the sheep's wool and after considerable hard hand

weaving they reutilize t in the final process

of

carpet making.

Furthermore, the tripod is used for shaking the milk to change it into

butter as well when the carpet related activities go into its seasonal slumber.

Usually, milk

is

transferred into a container made of goatskin. The

container

is

then hung form this tripod to be manually shaken by moving

it back and forth in order to change the milk into butter.

In the context of informal economy, obviously the toolsof production

in carpeting as well as in dairy products are shockingly simple, labor

intensive requiring so little investment. It

is

possible to modernize this


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tripod for a higher productivity and thus higher income. For example

the shaking of goatskin container could be done by small electric device

instead

of

hands.

f

course introducing technology into an old age

economic practice is always a risky business when it comes down to

cultural issues and therefore all sides should be observed before one

embark on such practice. Or else it would be very hard not to avoid

destroying cultural fabric so crucial to survival of particular way of life

with careless dumping of technology from without into traditional

economic equation with deep roots and historical uniqueness.

In background a room with window and white curtain in the second

floor can be seen.

t

is

recently being added in order

to

house the oldest

son

of

the family with his new bride. In communal economy family

members tend to live quite close

to

one another both socially and spatially.

Adding new room to the existing housing unit for the growing kinship

is quite a common practice. f course through the generalized processof

reciprocity and obligation the new family will return this favor by helping

their parents during the harvest time the busiest economic time in the

village life and protect the strategic interests of the kinship in the village

when their stake is in dispute.

However similar activities for expanding and remodeling the existing

home in the urban areas could take an ugly political twist particularly

among the shantytown communities and residents in confronting the

authorities. The city officials often see the practice as a direct violation

of city code and the erosion of their authority. There are many cases of

confrontation reported where the government in the existing shantytown

and poor neighborhood demolishes the new unauthorized units.

Thus the simple informal and relatively harmonious economic

relations in the housing construction as well as in the production

of

dairy

produce and carpet are supported by a complex culture of mutual obligation

and trust cushioning society in the long term from the erosive not

constructive impact of social dispute and conflict over the distribution

of

scarce resources.

Simple Means o Production in the Informal Economy

5


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Section

f ~

The Salt Man Street Vendors

Recycling and Informal Economy

n most regions in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan regions, strong

sanctions are being placed on wasteful treatment

o

food items,

particularly bread. Historical background to this practice can be traced

back to periodic famine and drought in which the urban consumers became

extremely vulnerable due to farming uncertainty. Therefore, t

s

not

surprising to find strong religious ethos in social practice to strongly

condemn the abuse, misuse, and non-use offood-items that could become

suddenly scarce without a prior notice.

These strongly held believes stem from the shard ideology rooted in

religion in various forms and shades, that bread

s

the gift o Lord to

mankind therefore it has

to

be accorded with respect and dignity. Bread

s specially considered the most sacred food item for t s the key source

for sustenance and nourishment o life. There must be numerous daily

cultural rituals in treating the bread for its strategic dietary importance.

Thus, elevating this particular diet

to

the status

o

a deity: how to cut the

bread; places that bread can t be eaten; what to do with peace o bread

found in street, so on and so forth.


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Section

f ~

emi Traditional Bakery

B

read and Bakery have special valued place in muchof North African

and Middle Eastern folklore, history, and religion. Possibly because

of periodic famine and frequent drought in the past, these regions in the

world treat bread, key to human survival, with special respect and consider

the baker s job a key component to the well being of society not only

physically but also spiritually. A constant reminder that without baker

society remains so vulnerable to decay both in body and in spirit.

In this bakery, piles of dough getting ready to go to a huge oven with

the help of three workers who work without complain in excessive heat

beyond ordinary human tolerance. The conditionof work

is

often sub

standard s workers often endure extreme heat in front of a 450f oven

for many hours every day. The workers hardy sit and the conditions of

work require them

to

be in a constant standing posture. The baker who

is

responsible for throwing the dough into oven and to make sure the dough

are pulled out from the oven on time, gets the most heat in this life

saving economic activity. Because of high temperature, it

is

a rarity

to

find over-weight bakers for they literally melt every bit of body fat in

front of these open hell hot oven.

Notice the red shelf and a glass of water under the counter in pictures.

The cold water

is

in high demand particularly in hot summer and the


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Section

f ~

The

nformal Economy and

Modem

Technology

nformal

Craftsmanship and Rural Economy

he level of technological sophistication varies from industry to

industry, from informal sector to formal sector, and from rural areas

to urban regions. For example, International Labor Organization literature

often characterizes the informal economy with primitive technology.

However, in certain cases, various technological levels could coexist

side by side in an economic activity therefore supporting the overall

level of productivity with respect to available human as well as natural

resources. It is not easy to come with an exact recipe

of

this articulation

as the proportion of modem technology to primitive technology varies

from situation to situation in the informal economy.

In this picture you see modem tractor Model: Casey), hand-made

clay storage house, and hand-made fuel from animal

deposit dung

and

yellow pile

of

wheat. The labor that goes to the making

of

dung is the

simplest one. The animal deposits are collected by the village manually

and with water are turned into flat plate like object. They are kept out

side under sun

to

dry and latter

will

be used in the winter for cooking as


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well as heating purpose. Dung while is drying attracts large number of

flies that interfere with health and comfort of the residents.

f

course

this problem vanishes as flies go into their recessive stage during winter.

By the same token the storage houses for wheat and barely

is

entirely

made by human hand. The construction materials are also very simple

mostly from mud-brick clay. The roof is supported by trunk of trees

cut from the local areas.

On the other hand modern tractors are used to plough the land and

the combine machines are used in time of harvest yet sophisticated

machinery

is

used simultaneously and harmoniously with archaic tools

or mode

of

production.

t must be noted that the use of advanced technology has other effects

on the informal sector of rural economy. On the one hand it increases

the technological literacy

of

the residents who use it and on the other

hand it

is

a welcome opportunity for the small landholders to lease their

land and migrate to the cities. With high technological input to grow

agricultural crops poor peasants or small land-holders often find this

practice economically reasonable to rent their land and to look for manual

jobs often in the construction sector in the city. While certain group

may benefit from migration if not culturally but economically it has

been an important factor in reducing complementary agricultural produce

such as animal husbandry dairy product rug and similar handcraft and

host

of

other products.

The reason is rather clear for this sharp reduction in the adjunct rural

products. People who migrate

to

city often abandon their village and

their house and it becomes impossible to be engaged in the production

of such items when one is miles away from his or her original residence.

As a result many small villages are left in ruin and later become completely

deserted. What remain

is

the unsettled lands which go under cultivation

by relatively wealthy urban residents who own the tractors and other

crucial tools necessary for large scale and labor saving forms of agriculture.

The Informal Economy and Modern Technology

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Section 2

r ~

The Informal Economy

o

Self Reliance:

A Full ircle o Work and Food

ccording to Western model of social development in most cases

the modernization of economy means a greater level of occupational

differentiation and a more intensive volume

of

both horizontal and vertical

division of labor. The trend is often followed by a sharp decline in the

overall pattern of economic self-sufficiency of local communities with

respect to critical cultural as well as economic resources such as

information network cooperation and coordination expertise and skill

safety and security

of

the flow

of

goods and services in and out of

household.

The proponents of modernization often argue that a higher level of

division of labor ultimately boosts productivity and the general well being

of

society. Since access to material comfort and wealth is one of the most

important dimensions to human happiness dam Smith and his

contemporary followers see economic modernization s an essential factor

for achieving a humane and moral community.

While this may be true in certain cases there are growing unhappiness

and discontent with both economy and society. The literature which

addresses these issues are immense trying to document the plight of


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Section 4

f G;1

Extra Income and Household

Economy: The Informal Economy

o

Home Gardening

n addition to reproductive and socialization role in the household, the

household can also make a significant contribution to production and

distribution

of

goods and services in the community. While a significant

portion

of

economic activities

is

directly consumed by family members

(often in cashless network of reciprocity such as cooking, cleaning,

education of children, emotional support, etc., which otherwise have to

be purchased from the economy outside

of

the family). The household

economy could link itself directly to unknown clients outside

of

family

for cash transaction.

This choice

is

often practiced during the economic downturn in both

developed and developing countries

as

a way to adapt to unemployment

and job insecurity. In the following, two scenes are photographed

to

document the concrete working out of economy in the household and to

shed some light on some of the assumptions concerning the value of

household economy.

In the first two pictures, the Brine Pickles are produced and

processed in the Brine Family and are advertised for sale in the


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Several sociological remarks can be made on this practice: 1 Despite

their significance, they are often insecure in the eye

o

the state as they

rely on illegal practices (e.g., useo public electricity without paying the

expenses (substandard and often dangerous working conditions); 2. Due

to self-employment nature of work, work related injuries suchas blindness

and skin burning could completely paralyze the artisans without any

back up support for their families.

The state could easily step in and help these artisans in many ways to

promote farming economy and to increase rural retention. Examples

would be providing free electricity, limited insurance, in return for

technical information on activities and the difficulties they encounter in

the their business. These changes can be made without damaging the

cultural o fabric

o

villages,

as

artisanship has been always an integral

part o rural economies throughout all agrarian economies.

Section 7

f , G ~

Self Created Employment

by

the Unemployed

Informal

Economy and

Job

Creation

nlicensed street business

is

probably the most visible aspects of

urban life in the developing countries. The shape, form, conditions

o work, labor contract and the state s reaction to the legal side o activity

are extremely diverse making its classification a rather difficult task.

In this picture, a man in his mid-twenty, somewhat polished and

educated

is

selling black berries to the public in one

o

the most popular

places for hiking and recreational activities. His business

is

on the sidewalk

and

is

paying some fee to the local shoppers for his trade. In addition the

fee gives some degree o legality saving the traders from the pain o

spontaneous disappearance at the time o crackdown on the city hawkers

by the city law enforcement agencies.

The means o production consists of few small blue cups, black berries,

two traces, a red bucket, and two huge saucers like berry containers. The

berries are often picked from the local berry farms either by the person

in trade or by the teenage during the summer when the schools are closed.

What makes the berry business interesting and relatively profitable

is

the tradition surrounding the berry tree in the Middle East regions.


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For

its endurance and vitality, berry tree enjoys a status

of

sacredness

and is planted near public places such as mosque, church, synagogue,

temple, o r parks and public free of charge uses

its

fruit. Homeless, beggars,

and the poor often find the tree berry as the last resort to hunger during

long days in summer and younger children are often found busy climbing

up and down the berry tree with considerable

joy

and active socialization.

Thus, many street vendors who sell berries in fact collect them off

trees that are absolutely free and available to public without anyone ever

claiming ownership to them. With low cost collectionof berries anybody

can make some money if they decide to pull up their sleeves.

I

1

"'1

I

~ 1 / , ,

Section 8

BJ Q1

The Informal Economy

o

Street Entertainment People

See the Show out

in

pen

T

he street economy

is

not limited to selling and buying of material

goods, but it could very well include non-material services and

products as well. Street music, Folklore Theater, and street acrobatic

performances are just few examples to name. The spontaneity and

flexibility

of

theatrical products coupled with the alluring atmosphere

of

free space without

roof

unlike cathedral building with confining

parameters with respect to various social, economic, and cultural

characteristics

of

audience) and rich social mosaic in such informal

economy can attract many customers from variety of background. Poor

or rich, black or white, and sophisticated or naive audience, immigrants

or natives can all find their own spot in this rich and diversified social

matrix. In addition, the street entertainment works as magnet for business

boosting retail sale of small street vendors scattered in the area. All

of

these happenings occur not just in a back ward city some where in Asia

or Africa, but in prominent places throughout Europe and North America

such as Quincy Market in America, Dam in Amsterdam, Venice Beach

in California, and great spots all over Quebec in Canada.


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In the first three pictures, young talented musicians from Latin

American Honduras are giving their best

to

the enthusiastic audience in

Boston giving them a sense

o

scope from their over-regulated urban

life-style right in their own urban backyard without a journey.

The music band

is

composed

o

three men who wear casual uniform

o purple shirt, blue genes, white socks, and brown shoes. His black hat

distinguishes the bandleaders with colorful stripes from two other

performers. They are surrounded by their casual audience most o whom

are eating ice cream while listening to the well conceived drum beat

sizzled by a charming Latin American flute. Small souvenirs from

Honduras could be bought right here in Boston as they are displayed for

sale in the show.

The interesting part that is not obvious in these pictures is the director

who has possibly subcontracted these artists from Honduras by providing

them the required electronic devices and the necessary bureaucratic

performance permission from the local authorities. Once the show begins

moving, a small circle o audience works as magnate for attracting a

bigger and greater audience from the nearby places. It is not too uncommon

to see several street entertainment shows, each with its own unique

program, perform their art for living simultaneously in the close by

areas; therefore attracting and losing audience from one circle to the

other.

However, whatever they do, the informal economy o street enter

tainment added color and flavor

as

well

as

valorizing other type o

economic activities that otherwise could remain cold and boring without

the necessary effervescence

to

stimulate life in urban areas.

The Informal Economy o Street Entertainment

85


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Section 9

r ~

Converting the Public Space into

Informal Street usiness

T

he relation between informal economy and spatial arrangements of

the city with respect to private property rights, availabilityo public

space, and the interactiono people with location arrangemento business

have significant impact on the acceptability of the informal economy

both by the city officials and the customers. Such arrangements allow the

informal economy, under specific conditions,

to

continue functioning

without being terminated by the city official, despite some obvious

violation o municipal codes.

In this picture, this informal newspaper shop owner establishes his

business creatively between a busy street and pedestrian side walks. A

flat metal platform s used as foundation for the shop to be placed on and

it helps the pedestrian cross the brook at night when the shop is closed.

This post-modernist innovation in which two spatially distinct entities

(private versus public) are juxtaposed and imposed upon one another to

allow the emergence

o

a neutral zone in urban environment (e.g.,

undefined space) to be redefined for commercial use by the informal

workers.


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With open door policy coupled with access to large anonymous

customers who walk through the sidewalk make this business quite

successful. People flip through the displayed publications, read them as

they relax between their walk and may eventually buy what they are

interested in. On the other hand, the drivers may find it convenient to

stop on the other side o shop, make a quick purchase and continue

driving. This creatively generated space permits the shop owners to have

access to the better o the two worlds. Perhaps the only drawback would

be the traffic slow down that has resulted from the drivers customers

waiting to get their newspaper while in car.

With more neutral zones popping up in the city without check and

balance, it is expected that urban congestion could shoot to the roof,

causing general slow down in healthy businesses throughout the city.

Section 3

f ~

Modernization

o Street

Informal conomy

h e street informal economy does not have to be always chaotic or the

representation o series o disorganized activities o poor rural

migrants who cause traffic jam and urban congestion. Such stereotypical

view

o

the world yields only

so

little values toward an accurate portrayal

o the real world. Flexibility, beauty, innovation, and accommodation to

the needs of city dwellers are quite present in such activities. o much so

that the highly industrial countries may want

to

emulate the image

o

informal economy into the standard work place to boost productivity,

speed, and customers satisfaction.

Now hawkers and gypsy salesmen appear in the uniform to sell fresh

lemonade to their moving customers in different parts of town right from

their truck. Mobile business has not always been the invention o informal

workers in street of the third world. Correct identification, close adherence

to tax law, and more importantly to be able to pay for the expenses for

renting or buying the place. With growing office space left vacant which

highlights the problem and risk involves to get stuck with an unprofitable

business with little access to real demand and customers. However, with

ability

to

move around the city, one can target the most volatile district

o the town at any time and at any place on these four wheels.

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Corridor of Hope Readings