Informal Markets: Street Vendors in Mexico City.Habitat International

The central question this article addresses is: What are the functions of street vendor organizations? The study of street vending in Mexico City shows that vendor organizations perform mainly two central functions. (1) Organizations as negotiators or deal-makers; street vendors choose to become members of these organizations as a means to overcome red tape or complex bureaucracies. (2) Organizations as managers of social assets; organizations limit membership and access to informal markets and manage conflicts among vendors. The article shows that social capital, family, friends, etc., play an important role among street vendors whenever access to stalls in the informal market is at stake.

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