Doctoral Dissertation Research: Informal and Local Economies During Mega Events

德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校申办大型活动(如奥运会和世界杯)的城市和国家的范围在过去20年里不断扩大，包括南非、俄罗斯和巴西等新兴经济体。这些锦标赛的支持者提出的理由之一是，有可能加快发展，创造就业机会，并纳入被排除在外的社会部门。虽然举办这类活动的好处仍有争议，但人们对它们对当地非正规经济的影响还没有很好的理解，大多数人都是从这些非正规经济中获得收入的。以前关于大型体育赛事的社会影响的研究倾向于将弱势群体视为同质群体，尽管有证据表明有成功的故事和更多的困难。因此，这些研究没有考虑到受影响人群中的不同结果和发展轨迹。这项研究以场域理论为前提，将绘制街头小贩之间的划分图，并分析导致他们在大型体育赛事中成败的动态。这一项目扩大了关于大型活动的社会影响的现有研究，同时挑战了边缘化群体的成员都是被排斥的受害者的观念。联合会假设，街头小贩分为三个小组：(1)街头小贩工会的领导人和成员，(2)未加入工会的街头小贩，以及(3)无证街头小贩。这些集团中的每一个控制着特定的资产。在有执照的街头小贩中，研究表明，由于政治关系，领导人和工会成员将从政府项目中受益。在流动性是主要资产的无证街头小贩中，最年轻、流动性很强的街头小贩将设法避开安检，接触到粉丝。其他小贩应该不会有什么收获，可能会因为更大的镇压而蒙受损失。这项研究将通过定性和定量相结合的方法来检验上述假设。首先，研究人员将利用关键线人访谈来检查该计划的设计和实施，以纳入街头小贩。同时，专责小组亦会巡视旅游热点附近的街头摊贩，并记录在该处经营的持牌及无牌街头小贩的人口统计数字。最后，研究人员将进行问卷调查，并分析现有调查数据，以评估活动对全镇街头小贩收入和工作条件的整体影响。该项目将分析2014年世界杯这一重大赛事对巴西最大城市S圣保罗街头小贩生计的影响。在赛事的筹备阶段，政府面临着一波社会抗议浪潮，同时也面临着越来越多的批评，批评称组织锦标赛成本太高，其好处没有惠及最需要帮助的社会群体。特别是街头小贩，在世界杯一般法中明确成为目标，该法律打击了游客集中的官方活动周围的非正式商业活动。为了应对这样的压力，S圣保罗市政府设计了一个项目，通过授予街头小贩销售官方产品的权利来整合他们。谁是赢家，谁是输家，谁是政府让边缘化人口融入社会的举措？大型活动是非正式企业家改善命运的机会吗？未来如何在弱势群体中更平均地分配利益？更广泛的影响这项研究将为此类活动的规划提供关键意见，以确保社会包容和分享经济利益。为此，研究结果将在学术界内外的论坛和渠道中传播。联合PI将利用当地政策制定者和民间社会行为者--包括倡导非正式工人权利的非政府组织--的广泛网络，分享研究成果和结论。研究结果有可能在未来的大型活动期间为弱势群体的政策制定提供信息。

SES-1434160Javier AuyeroJacinto Cuvi EscobarUniversity of Texas at AustinThe range of cities and countries bidding for mega events (e.g., the Olympics and the World Cup) has expanded over the last two decades to incorporate emerging economies like South Africa, Russia and Brazil. Among the reasons put forth by proponents of these tournaments are the possibility to fast-track development, generate employment, and incorporate excluded sectors of society. While the benefits of hosting such events are still debated, there is not a good understanding of their effects on the local, informal economies from which a majority of the population draws its income. Previous work on the social impacts of sporting mega-events tends to treat disadvantaged groups as homogenous, despite evidence of both success stories and increased hardship. These studies therefore do not account for divergent outcomes and trajectories within affected populations. Premising the study on field theory, this research will map the divisions among street vendors and analyze the dynamics leading to their success or demise during a mega sporting event. This project expands on existing research about the social impact of mega events while challenging the notion that members of marginalized groups are all victims of exclusion. The co-PI hypothesizes that street vending is divided into three subgroups: (1) leaders and members of street vendors unions, (2) non-unionized street vendors, and (3) unlicensed street vendors. Each of these groups controls specific assets. Among licensed street vendors, the research proposes that leaders and union members will benefit from government programs because of political connections. Among unlicensed street vendors -- where mobility is the main asset -- it is the youngest and highly mobile street vendors who will manage to avoid security checks and gain access to fans. Other peddlers should experience few gains and may suffer losses due to increased repression. The study will test the foregoing assumptions through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. First, the researcher will examine the design and implementation of the program to incorporate street vendors using key informant interviews. Concurrently, the co-PI will observe street selling around tourist hotspots and record the demographics of the licensed and unlicensed street vendors operating there. Finally, the researcher will administer a questionnaire survey and analyze existing survey data to assess the overall impact of the event on the income and working conditions of street vendors across town. This project will analyze the effects of a specific mega event, the 2014 soccer World Cup, on the livelihoods of street vendors in Brazil's largest city, São Paulo. In the run-up to the event, the government was faced with a wave of social protests along with mounting criticism that organizing the tournament was too costly and that its benefits did not reach the social groups most in need. Street vendors, in particular, were explicitly targeted in the General Law of the World Cup, which cracks down on informal commercial activity around the official events where tourists are concentrated. In response to such pressures, the city government of São Paulo designed a program to integrate a group of street vendors by granting them the right to sell official products. Who wins and who loses from government initiatives to integrate marginalized populations? Are mega events an opportunity for informal entrepreneurs to improve their lot? How can the benefits be spread more evenly among disadvantaged groups in the future? Broader ImpactsThis study will provide critical input to the planning of such events so as to ensure social inclusion and the sharing of economic benefits. To this end, the findings will be disseminated in forums and outlets within and beyond the academic world. The co-PI will draw on a wide network of local policymakers and civil society actors --including NGOs (non-governmental organizations) advocating for the rights of informal workers -- to share research results and conclusions. Research findings have the potential to inform policymaking for disadvantaged groups during mega events in the future.