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Waiting for welfare: experiences of street traders from Delhi, India

Raphael, Riya LU (2022) In European Journal of Social Work 25(6). p.1057-1068
Abstract
This article explores the nuances of the experiences of waiting for state-issued documents and state welfare. Waiting as an everyday experience
forms an important aspect of the relationship between socioeconomically marginalised groups and the state institutions. In order to
examine this relationship, this paper draws upon eight interviews,
conducted during December 2017 to February 2018 and in January
2019, among pheriwale. Pheriwale are self-employed traders, in Delhi,
India, who collect huge amounts of second-hand/used-clothes and sell
them forward to make a living. They largely work in highly precarious
informal work environments, lack social security and depend on
irregular income. However, as residents... (More)
This article explores the nuances of the experiences of waiting for state-issued documents and state welfare. Waiting as an everyday experience
forms an important aspect of the relationship between socioeconomically marginalised groups and the state institutions. In order to
examine this relationship, this paper draws upon eight interviews,
conducted during December 2017 to February 2018 and in January
2019, among pheriwale. Pheriwale are self-employed traders, in Delhi,
India, who collect huge amounts of second-hand/used-clothes and sell
them forward to make a living. They largely work in highly precarious
informal work environments, lack social security and depend on
irregular income. However, as residents of India, they are also regulated
through various state measures such as being registered within the
national biometric database, as bank account holders and as recipients
of public welfare provisions. By focusing on the experiences of
pheriwale, findings show that waiting is shaped through intersecting
hierarchies of gender, class and caste in the context of India. This article
elucidates that a conceptualisation of waiting cannot overlook how the
act of waiting for state-issued documents is tied into politics of
recognition and redistribution. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
waiting, welfare, intersectionality, caste, informal economy, gender
in
European Journal of Social Work
volume
25
issue
6
pages
1057 - 1068
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85138735003
ISSN
1369-1457
DOI
10.1080/13691457.2022.2117136
project
Postgrowth Welfare Systems
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7fddac5c-fde3-41a0-9d2c-96b14017b223
date added to LUP
2022-09-23 15:12:23
date last changed
2022-12-19 15:13:21
@article{7fddac5c-fde3-41a0-9d2c-96b14017b223,
  abstract     = {{This article explores the nuances of the experiences of waiting for state-issued documents and state welfare. Waiting as an everyday experience<br/>forms an important aspect of the relationship between socioeconomically marginalised groups and the state institutions. In order to<br/>examine this relationship, this paper draws upon eight interviews,<br/>conducted during December 2017 to February 2018 and in January<br/>2019, among pheriwale. Pheriwale are self-employed traders, in Delhi,<br/>India, who collect huge amounts of second-hand/used-clothes and sell<br/>them forward to make a living. They largely work in highly precarious<br/>informal work environments, lack social security and depend on<br/>irregular income. However, as residents of India, they are also regulated<br/>through various state measures such as being registered within the<br/>national biometric database, as bank account holders and as recipients<br/>of public welfare provisions. By focusing on the experiences of<br/>pheriwale, findings show that waiting is shaped through intersecting<br/>hierarchies of gender, class and caste in the context of India. This article<br/>elucidates that a conceptualisation of waiting cannot overlook how the<br/>act of waiting for state-issued documents is tied into politics of<br/>recognition and redistribution.}},
  author       = {{Raphael, Riya}},
  issn         = {{1369-1457}},
  keywords     = {{waiting; welfare; intersectionality; caste; informal economy; gender}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1057--1068}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Social Work}},
  title        = {{Waiting for welfare: experiences of street traders from Delhi, India}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2022.2117136}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13691457.2022.2117136}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}