العمل غير الرسمي في الأسواق الشعبية: تمثلات الفاعلين و ممارساتهم اليومية بسوق المدينة الجديدة -وهران

Abstract

This study examines informal work and its impact on earning strategies and daily livelihoods as a contribution to the sociology of work. It aims to investigate the practices and interactions produced by actors within the market space, specifically focusing on how they manage their livelihoods and overcome precariousness. Accordingly, our research problematic is formulated as follows: How do informal sector workers live in the popular market of "Medina Jdida" in Oran, and how do they organize their daily lives amidst precarious and unstable conditions? Furthermore, what motives and meanings do they attribute to their work, viewing it as either a choice or a necessity? • How do informal sector workers in the "Medina Jdida" popular market organize their daily lives and activities to ensure the continuity of their livelihood? • Do individuals choose this type of work based on their social and spatial capital, or are there other determinants, and what role do social relations play in its continuity? We conducted our field study in the popular market of "Medina Jdida" in the province of Oran. We opted for a purposive sample comprising 12 respondents from the workers (vendors and merchants) operating within this informal commercial space . Based on the research questions, dimensions, and indicators adopted in our study, it became evident that informal work within the market is not merely a chaotic economic activity, but rather an integrated social system produced by the actors themselves, moment by moment. The immersion of these workers in their daily practices has transformed the public space (the sidewalk) into a socio-economic space governed by norms of seniority and social support networks, serving as an alternative to state institutions. Consequently, for many, this activity has shifted from being a mere obligatory passage to survive unemployment into a conscious choice that guarantees independence and an escape from the constraints and pressures of formal employment