Exploring space: researching the use of domestic space for income generation in developing cities.

Abstract

Introduction Increasing numbers of households in developing world cities are using their domestic space as a key resource to generate income in a variety of home-based enterprises (HBEs) as part of household survival strategies. For many, the HBE income is vitally important to their survival. Some of these productive activities appear to complement reproductive routines and requirements, whereas others create potential conflicts, particularly where dwellings are small and household sizes large. In all cases space is a key issue and one which requires further exploration. As part of an international comparative research project examining the environmental impacts of home-based enterprises we carried out intensive fieldwork in informal settlements in four cities (Cochabamba, Delhi, Pretoria, Surabaya). It was important for us to document all the resources and factors involved. Documentation of space usage proved particularly challenging. On the one hand, we calculated the effects of HBE space on the dwelling from a sample in each settlement of 150 HBE operators and 75 non-HBE operators using quantitative techniques. These included measurement of the amount of housing space available and how much was used for the HBE, both exclusively and shared with domestic activities. In addition, for a sub-sample of 20 in each place, we produced detailed plans and diagrams to record dwelling layouts and plotted how the spaces of the home were used, indicating where particular activities took place and, where possible, how these changed at different times of the day. To complement the graphic data we carried out long structured interviews with householders to gain greater understanding about how space was used and how decisions were made regarding the location of activities, and the spatial implications of juxtaposing or combining potentially incompatible activities. More importantly, such data allowed us to gain insights into the range of conceptualisations regarding how boundaries are established and negotiated, and to identify the strategies employed to accommodate competing activities and resolve conflicts.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 4 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.