ABSTRACT
As chapter 7 highlighted, poverty is only one factor in explaining the spatial distribution of informal sector employment. The factors which make the informal sector a haven for some workers and an environment of exploitation for others are multifaceted. The main factors, which include access to capital, household responsibilities, social capital and membership of social networks, are all governed by social processes which are conditioned by ideas about gendered and ethnic difference. Social networks, which are built around commonalities, shared values and ways of knowing, are often maintained around gender and kinship ties and are firmly embedded in place. As the division of labour is as much about where you work as it is about what you do, thinking spatially can help us better understand the working experiences of informal entrepreneurs.
