Casa ou barraca: representações sociais dos munícipes sobre a transformação de residências em estabelecimentos comerciais nos bairros suburbanos do Município da Matola

Abstract

Informal trade is one of the oldest forms of trade. Informality is a global problem that manifests itself in to a greater or lesser extent in all countries, whether they are poor, developing or rich. The present study aims to understand the social representations that the citizens envolved have regarding the process of transforming residences in commercials establishments in their daily lives. To achieve this objective, we used qualitative methodology, for data collection we used semi-structured interviews and interviewees were selected for convenience. The discussion of the results was carrier out in the theory of social representations, valuing the meanings that the interviewees have about a given phenomenon, as well as the interpretation they have about the phenomenon. The results obtained reveal that the transformation of residences into commercial establishments is conditioned by economic, cultural and social factors, with informal sellers being divided into those seeking survival and those seeking to generate wealt. Social relationshipis between sellers tend to one of mutual help and reciprocity, which reflects a sense of solidarity between them, although they are also competitive. Itwas concluded that economic (financial conditions) and cultural factors (values and beliefs) determine the construction of the social representations of the citizen involved in the transformation of residences into comercials establishments.