Street traders' life experiences

This study employed a qualitative research design with an ethnographic approach to deeply engage with the lived experiences of street traders. The research was conducted in two rural towns in Limpopo province, South Africa.Sampling StrategyA purposive sampling technique was used to select 20 street traders (10 men and 10 women) who were engaged in caregiving roles alongside their work. Participants were selected based on the following criteria:They had to be actively working as street traders.They had to have caregiving responsibilities for children, elderly family members, or dependents.They needed to be available for in-depth engagement over an extended period.Data Collection MethodsSemi-Structured InterviewsConducted face-to-face with all 20 participants.Covered themes such as perceptions of caregiving, work-care balance, socio-cultural expectations, and personal strategies for managing dual responsibilities.Interviews lasted between 60 and 90 minutes and were conducted in Tshivenda and translated into English.Recorded and transcribed for analysis.All participants' identities were anonymized through the use of pseudonymsObservationsConducted at market stalls where participants worked.Captured how traders balanced their caregiving roles while working, including interactions with customers and caregiving activities at the stalls.Observations were documented through field notes over a period 1 weekData AnalysisThematic analysis was used to identify key patterns and themes across interview transcripts, field notes, and photographs.A coding framework was developed, guided by the research questions and theoretical frameworks.The findings were interpreted through the lenses of social reproduction and intersectionality, ensuring a nuanced analysis of gendered caregiving experiences.Please note, the names used are pseudonyms本研究采用定性研究设计结合民族志研究方法，深度沉浸式地参与街头小贩的日常生活体验。本研究在南非林波波省（Limpopo Province）的两座乡村城镇开展。 ## 抽样策略 本研究采用目的性抽样法，选取20名同时承担照护职责的街头小贩作为研究对象（男、女性各10名）。入选标准如下： 1. 目前以街头小贩为全职职业； 2. 需承担儿童、老年家庭成员或其他受扶养人的照护责任； 3. 可在较长周期内参与深度研究活动。 ## 数据收集方法 ### 半结构化访谈（Semi-Structured Interviews） 对全部20名研究对象开展面对面访谈，访谈主题涵盖照护认知、工作-照护平衡、社会文化期待以及应对双重责任的个人策略等。访谈采用齐文达语（Tshivenda）进行，单场时长为60至90分钟，事后转录为英文文本。所有访谈均录音并整理成文以供分析，研究对象的身份均通过使用化名进行匿名化处理。 ### 实地观察 在研究对象经营的市场摊位开展观察，记录小贩在工作期间如何平衡照护职责，包括与顾客的互动及摊位上开展的照护活动。观察结果通过为期一周的实地笔记进行整理留存。 ## 数据分析 本研究采用主题分析法（Thematic analysis），从访谈转录文本、实地笔记与影像资料中识别核心模式与研究主题。结合研究问题与理论框架构建编码框架，并依托社会再生产（social reproduction）与交叉性（intersectionality）理论视角解读研究结果，以实现对性别化照护体验的精细化分析。 请注意，文中所使用的姓名均为化名。