New experiences, other meanings: rethinking work in the context of informal commerce

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to discuss the transformations of work in the informal commerce of São Paulo, taking into account the recent formalization policies and the transition of these activities from the streets to shopping centers. I intend to discuss the effects of these transformations on the basis of the social trajectories of workers, which have been marked by the new work experiences in the informal commerce and new meanings given to employment. In the current context, it is possible to say that the analyses that explain involvement in informal business as a temporary solution to the experience of unemployment seem insufficient, since we have observed that a large number of workers have dedicated themselves to informal business with expectations of permanence and upward mobility. Furthermore, it is important to consider the circulation of entrepreneurial discourse when trying to understand the new meanings of work in these informal markets. The text is based on a two-year research project on workers involved in informal trade in the city of São Paulo. The research methodology used was the observation of work in the shopping arcades of the Brás neighborhood, together with interviews aimed at establishing the social trajectories of the agents. The article is structured as follows: it first presents the object and space of the research, and then goes on to describe the trajectories of two of the interviewed workers. It then carries out a reflection on the possible transition from what is known as the work ethic, which is closely related to the logic of salary, to an ethic of the worker, of knowing how to work, which highlights the ability to achieve success in an environment characterized by insecurity and instability.

Keywords

• comércio popular
• empreendedorismo
• ética do trabalhar
• ética do trabalho
• trabalho
• trajetórias sociais