‘When the stomach is full we look for respect’: perceptions of ‘good work’ in the urban informal sectors of three developing countries
基于乌干达、布基纳法索和斯里兰卡首都非正规工人的焦点小组讨论，研究他们如何定义“好工作”，发现收入、工时等工具性特征与关系、认可等内在价值并重，并揭示性别和阶级等社会因素如何影响工作与福祉的关系。
There is growing interest in the ability of the informal sector to provide gainful work in much of the developing world. However, the literature on work in the informal sector remains dominated by resource- and rights-based approaches, which fail to consider the features of work valued by informal workers themselves. This article investigates perceptions of ‘good work’ based on focus group discussions with informal workers in the capitals of Uganda, Burkina Faso and Sri Lanka. Using the capability approach as a framework, it reveals that informal workers value a combination of instrumental features of work, such as income and working hours, and intrinsic aspects, such as relationships and recognition. The article’s findings contribute to debates on quality of work in formal and informal contexts by illustrating the role of social and environmental conversion factors, including gender and class relations, in mediating the relationship between work and well-being.