Job Quality Complexities: Self-employment within the Low-income Communities Surrounding Cape Town, South Africa. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roncolato, Leanne; Willoughby, John
• Is Part Of: Review of radical political economics. Volume 49:Number 1(2017:Spring)
• Page Start: 30
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: job quality -- Marx -- feminist -- self-employment -- South Africa; B5 -- J4 -- O1; Economics -- Periodicals; United States -- Economic policy -- Periodicals; United States -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; 330
• DOI: 10.1177/0486613415621751
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0486-6134

Abstract

This paper draws on feminist and Marxist traditions to develop a framework for analyzing job quality, which incorporates context, social relations, and power. Job quality among small business owners in low-income communities surrounding Cape Town, South Africa is analyzed using data from semi-structured, time-intensive interviews. The results reveal a complicated story of self-employment being a means of expressing creativity, forming identity and community, while simultaneously being characterized by insecurity and harsh constraints.