Trajetória de uma camelô: entre a rua, a família e o trabalho

Abstract

This is a study of a group of informal workers who sell drinks on the streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro and who live permanently in a municipality in Baixada Fluminense, on the outskirts of the metropolis. Through ethnographic research that was carried out in downtown Rio, the main focus was to follow the work routine of Maria, the leader of this group of street vendors. It was possible to observe a complex web of informal practices and illegalities that encompasses the work of street vendors, the points of sale, the places where they live and store their work materials, mainly involving the actions of the state repressive forces of the municipality and groups linked to drug trafficking. The thesis analyzes the economic context of the city, with the growth of unemployment and informality, together with public policies aimed at the so-called revitalization of the city center, and their possible effects on the poor. The practices of this group were also studied, showing their strategies for remaining working and living in the city center. It also takes a look at the barely visible relationships between the formal economy of large private companies and the informal segment of street vendors.