digitales archiv ZBW – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Salarvandiyan, Fatemeh Article The role of informal jobs in relieving informal settlement (case study: Hesaramir of Pakdasht) Provided in Cooperation with: Iran Urban Economics Scientific Association, Tehran This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/11159/179 Kontakt/Contact ZBW – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft/Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Düsternbrooker Weg 120 24105 Kiel (Germany) E-Mail: [email protected] https://www.zbw.eu/econis-archiv/ Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieses Dokument darf zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken This document may be saved and copied for your personal und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie and scholarly purposes. 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Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft zbw Leibniz Information Centre for Economics The Role of Informal Jobs in Relieving Informal Settlement (Case Study: Hesaramir of Pakdasht) Fatemeh Salarvandiyan* Ph.D. of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Seyyed Ali Hosseini Ph.D. of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Leyla Habibi Assistant Professor, Facult of Cultural Heritages, Handartifacts Industries, and Tourism, University of Mazandaran Mazandaran, Iran Maryam Jafari Mehrabadi Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, university of Gilan, Gilan, Iran Received: 2013/12/07 Accepted:2016/04/09 Abstract: New theories in empowerment have been focused on the role of spontaneous solutions of suburbanites in the recent years. One of the The Scientific-Research scientific strategies that inhabitants of informal settlements use for solving Quarterly Journal of Urban the problems of marginalization is to choose informal economy and Economics and Management spontaneous jobs. This research has descriptive-analytical approach ISSN: 2345-2870 emphasizing on questionnaire in order to study the role of such occupations Indexed in: ISC, Econbiz, as a solution arisen from these societies in order to relieve the issue of SID, Noormags, Magiran, informal settlement among informal habitats of Hesaramir in Pakdasht. Ensani, Civilica, RICeST Cochran Formula was used to determine sample size. 25303 people of www.Iueam.ir Vol. 4, No.14 total population of Hesaramir were considered as a statistical population; Spring 2016 therefore, 378 people were selected. SWOT technique indicated that Pages: 137-157 development of spontaneous jobs in the informal settlements of Hesaramir of Pakdasht has very high strengths (3.33 scores in terms of internal factors and 3.34 scores in terms of external factors). One sample t tests and chi-square were used to analyze the questionnaires. Chi-square test results showed that there is a significant relationship between the gender of the studied people and tendency to spontaneous jobs with the probability of 95%. T and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to show the impact of spontaneous jobs on economic recovery. The results of Kolmogorov- Smirnov test indicate that tendency to such jobs has leaded to the improvement of economic situation. T-test indicates the significance level less than 0.05 showing the impact of these jobs on the improvement of economic situation. Keywords: informal settlement, spontaneous jobs, informal economy of the city, SWOT Jel Classification: C38, E26, J62, R21 *Corresponding author: [email protected] A Quarterly Journal of Urban Economics and Management _______________________________ 138 1. Introduction earn a living from it however, temporarily. Towards the end of the second In fact, informal economy, despite many millennium and beginning of the third problems, including irregular income and millennium, urbanization has been as a non-payment of taxes, since it does not global concern facing with many developing need much skill and training, it may be and industrial countries (Sarrafi, 2002). considered as a temporary solution to Many believe that the issue of living is, as escape economic problems of slums. This one of the most important latent and even research tries to study the role of spontaneous indirect factors, is main factor in informal jobs (in other words self-employment) in settlement (Davis, 2006). In the wake of slums’ empowerment of this are. These changing policies and increasing migration, questions will be answered in the following: cities have been considered as a shelter to Main question: increase revenue and improve economic What is the extent of self-employment status. Nevertheless, contrary to expectations, and spontaneous jobs among slums? suburbs welcome newcomer immigrants Sub-questions: from the countryside and the poor living 1- Are women more likely to have in the city since expensive housing, these jobs? inability to pay rentals, and not having 2- Can self-employment and spontaneous adequate income make them leave city jobs in suburban areas lead to improvement and hold them behind the wall of of marginalized people’s economic status? metropolises. Once Tehran Metropolis 3- What spontaneous jobs are chosen had informal settlements around it that by marginalized people of Hesaramir? currently, they have changed into urban 4- How is distribution of spontaneous areas. Constant process of suburbanization jobs in Hesaramir area? is similar to a chain with a missed ring; it has been created around formerly suburban 2- Literature Review settlements. As a result, we may consider One of the most important measures increase of these settlements beside former done about self-employment is establishment slums (Naghdi, 2010). Once, Pakdasht was of Grameen bank by Muhammad Yunus considered as one of the informal in Bangladesh (Yunus, 2007). By studying settlements for Tehran, informal settlements lives of the poor in Bangladesh who were are still increasing in its suburbs by occupied in handicrafts, he considered changing into an urban area and then into that they pay 10 percent interest daily or the center of the city (currently, the core 300 percent monthly by borrowing money of suburbanization of this city is from usurious. For this purpose, they work Hesaramir area). Given that many its a lot, produce very beautiful goods, and residents enjoy low level of literacy, create a huge wealth, but they earn small training, and work skills, many of them, amount. He designed an innovative and particularly women, have started spontaneous non-governmental banking system for the activities in informal sector in order to poor in 1976 to solve this problem that escape economic problems, and they could later became known as the Grameen Bank. 139 ______________________ The Role of Informal Jobs in Relieving Informal Settlement … Its purposes include 1. Expanding ones (McGrath et al., 1994). Sao Francisco banking facilities for poor men and de Assis Municipality, located in 500 women 2. Eradicating usurious exploitation kilometers to Port Alegre in Brazil, has of the poor 3. Creating job opportunities established a place for cooperative for the poor 4. Using poor people management by 18 to 24-year old men participation to improve their socio- and women, presented a planning to economic conditions through supporting create revenue through producing clothes, each other (www.grameen-info.org). Self- arts, leather crafts, recycling paper, and Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) wood (Frota, 2008). in India is an organization of women Among Iranian experiences in engaged in income generating activities. empowerment through expanding self- SEWA means service in the local language. employment, Shirabad neighborhood can This organization is a unique union servicing be noted. Shirabad is located in the unorganized self-employed women. SEWA northeastern city of Zahedan, with an is a branch of Eternal Forces Association area of 100 hectares and a population of founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1918. 60 thousand people, as a full sample of This association is composed of self- informal settlement in Zahedan (Piran, employed women. Main activity of this 2002). One of the considerable points in organization is training, production, empowerment experience of Shirabad in organization, and job efficiency. Production Zahedan is governmental and local council unit of this association support women in support in establishing women’s non- activities such as sewing, knitting, crocheting, governmental organizations namely Makran doll making, weaving, printing on fabric, and Zeytoon, covering 250 derilict typing, and other artistic and handicraft households by reviving handicrafts. activities. Kermanshah can be noted in empowerment In a study in 1970s, lack of organizational and organizing plan for resodents of and governmental support and job security Jafarabad neighborhood in Kermanshah. were introduced as main problems of self- Facilitating conditions of economic employed women. Following this issue,