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Urban Forum
Erschienen in: Urban Forum 1/2020

01.11.2019

Adaptive Expectations and Subjective Well-being of Landfill Waste Pickers in South Africa’s Free State Province

verfasst von: Phillip Blaauw, Anmar Pretorius, Kotie Viljoen, Rinie Schenck

Erschienen in: Urban Forum | Ausgabe 1/2020

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Abstract

Waste pickers are widely regarded as among the most marginalised groupings in the informal economy. Theoretically, this can have a negative impact on the evaluation of their well-being. The aim of the research was to investigate possible determinants of subjective well-being in South Africa’s informal economy, using a case study of waste pickers on landfill sites in the Free State province of South Africa. The data were sourced from structured interviews with 420 waste pickers on landfill sites in the three major municipalities in the Free State province in 2012. A mixed method research design was used in the research. The standard quantitative data analysis was supplemented with a qualitative analysis to provide deeper insight into the research question. The results are reported in context with the broader perspective of the labour market in South Africa. The results indicate the importance of location and size of the landfill in explaining the subjective well-being of the waste pickers. Further research is needed among other marginalised groups to gain a clearer understanding of the lives and livelihoods of those involved in the informal economy of South Africa. Society will then be better placed to value the contribution of informal waste pickers in the waste economy and policy makers will be better equipped to integrate them in the formal waste management strategies of municipalities.
Vorheriger Artikel ‘We are Each Other’s Keeper’: Migrant Associations and Integration in Urban Africa

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Fußnoten
1
The criteria used in determining the three local municipalities were population size and economic activity. Bloemfontein, Welkom and Sasolburg are the main cities in the three local municipalities and were the focus areas of the study. See Annexure for detailed maps of the various locations of the three municipalities.
 
2
We thank one of the anonymous reviewers for this suggestion.
 
3
See, for example, the work of Frey and Stutzer (2002) and Dolan et al. (2008).
 
4
In this context, snowball sampling meant that waste pickers who were interviewed were then asked to refer the fieldworkers to other waste pickers who they know. Additional questionnaires were then completed based on these referrals. The convenience element involved interviewing all the possible waste pickers who was located by the fieldworkers on the various landfills.
 
5
Cases 51, 234 and 261 were not used as the respondents did not answer all the questions needed for the regression analysis. Other inconsistencies led to the cases 58, 179, 183, 242, 259, 274 and 381 also not being used to ensure the quality of the data and results.
 
6
The question in the survey was: “On a scale of 1-10 (10 being very happy and 1 being very unhappy), how happy are you with your life at the moment?” This question corresponds with international literature on this topic and is also used in the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) surveys.
 
7
OLS is a linear least squares method for estimating the parameters in simple or multiple linear regression models, normally using continuous variables. General Probit analysis is a version of regression analysis, applicable to variables with only one of two possible outcomes.
 
8
Null hypothesis of normal distribution is rejected at 1% for the sample including extremes, while the same null hypothesis cannot be rejected at 5% for the sample excluding the extremes.
 
9
Sen’s capabilities approach was developed in the 1980s, where the key focus is on what individuals are able to do and achieve (Sen 1985).
 
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Metadaten
Titel
Adaptive Expectations and Subjective Well-being of Landfill Waste Pickers in South Africa’s Free State Province
verfasst von
Phillip Blaauw
Anmar Pretorius
Kotie Viljoen
Rinie Schenck
Publikationsdatum
01.11.2019
Verlag
Springer Netherlands
Erschienen in
Urban Forum / Ausgabe 1/2020
Print ISSN: 1015-3802
Elektronische ISSN: 1874-6330
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-019-09381-5

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