L9 Catadores Rubbish Market

Question 1

Author?

Answer 1

• Kathleen Miller
• Rio de Janeiro garbage dump
• Case study on precarious unemployment/informal economy

Question 2

RISK/UNCERTAINTY IN THE MARKET 1)

Answer 2

• In ‘precarious employment
• non-regulated by licences, policy, government and there isa generalised condition of anxiety under market logic, since they are in a job that doesn’t provide them with any kind of security.
• NO social security, health issues

Question 3

RISK/UNCERTAINTY IN THE MARKET 2)

Answer 3

MANY HAZARDS

• Live intimately with risk to their health that stems from the nature of their work
• “contact with needles from hospital waste”

Question 4

HOW DO THEY MANAGE RISK? 1)

Answer 4

1) SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

• IN the financial markets there was a ‘cultural geography of segregation that was built into the structure’ that doesn’t permit interaction between people in different offices
• ‘THe conditions of the dump permit practices of relationship-building’ and in that way they can share risks with others despite not having long-term financial cover for pension payments and insurance.

Question 5

HOW DO THEY MANAGE RISK? 2)

Answer 5

2) SOLIDARITY - difficult home circumstances - freedom and autonomy

• Risk is the small price to pay for the freedom that they gain
• e.g. Rose - got formal cleaning job, regularly employed worker. Few weeks later quit her job, Didn’t like the constraints of timing with old job. She appreciate the freedom rubbish picking gave her and able to send mor time with family.