Home-based Workers and Multiple Uses of Dwellings in Urban India. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chandrasekhar, S.
• Is Part Of: Environment and urbanization Asia. Volume 5:Number 2(2014)
• Page Start: 303
• Page End: 318
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: Multiple use of dwellings -- self-employment -- home-based workers -- urban India; Social ecology -- Asia -- Periodicals; Urban ecology (Sociology) -- Asia -- Periodicals; Urbanization -- Asia -- Periodicals; Human ecology -- Asia -- Periodicals; 304.20954
• DOI: 10.1177/0975425315577902
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0975-4253

Abstract

This article complements the literature on self-employment by focusing on the issue of multiple use of dwelling and home-based workers in urban India. Using data from Census of India 2011, the article establishes the prevalence of multiple uses of houses. Following this, the descriptive analysis, based on unit level data from a unique nationally representative data set on employment and unemployment for the year 2009–2010, establishes sufficient heterogeneity between the three types of home-based workers: own account workers, employers and unpaid family workers. The heterogeneity is along many dimensions: age, education, skill, industry of work and monthly per capita expenditure. There are also marked differences in operational characteristics. From a policy perspective, this article makes two contributions. It argues that recognition of multiple use of dwelling is the first step towards having a discussion on whether home-based enterprises can be visualized as a livelihood improvement strategy for low-income households. Second, despite the sizable number of houses in slums being used for purposes other than residence, this fact is often neglected while thinking of the potential adverse impacts of slum resettlement policies on livelihoods. 通过关注印度城市住房的多种用途和居家工作者等议题，本文补充了自主创业方面的文献。利用印度 2011 年人口普查数据，本文明确了住房拥有多种用途十分普遍。接下去，在描述性分析的基础上，基于一个独特的具有全国代表性的数据中有关就业和失业的家庭层面数据 (2009-2010年)，本文提出三种类型的居家工作者之间具有充分的异质性：单独结算的工人，雇主和无薪居家工人。异质性反应在许多方面：年龄，教育水平，技能，工作行业和每月人均支出。在工作特征上也有显著差异。从政策角度，本文做出了两个贡献。本文提出承认住房的多种用途是探讨家庭企业能否被看作低收入家庭民生改善战略的第一步。其次，尽管相当数量的贫民窟住房被用作居住以外的用途，在考虑贫民窟重置政策对居民生活的潜在负面影响时，这个事实往往被忽视。