Gender, the state, and informal self-employment

Nathanael Ojong

International Journal of Social Economics, 2017, vol. 44, issue 11, 1456-1470

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the intersection of formality, informality, structures of power, gender, and social norms in the mobile telecommunication industry in Cameroon, and to investigate the reasons for the over-representation of informal self-employed women at the base of the mobile telecommunication industry in the country. Design/methodology/approach - This is a qualitative study using interviews and observations. Findings - Cameroon’s mobile telecommunication industry is a “spaghetti bowl” where formality, informality, gender, structures of power, and social norms are intertwined. In Cameroon’s mobile telecommunication industry, there is no static division between formality and informality, rather, there is a connection between formality and informality to ensure the unity and totality of the airtime credit distribution system. Self-employment in the mobile telecommunication industry is gendered. Originality/value - Analysing the intersection of gender, class, formality, informality, social norms, and structures of power in the functioning of the mobile telecommunication industry in the Cameroon is original.

Keywords: Gender; Cameroon; Mobile phones; Informal economy; Mobile network operators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijsepp:ijse-03-2016-0095

DOI: 10.1108/IJSE-03-2016-0095

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Social Economics is currently edited by Professor Terence Garrett

More articles in International Journal of Social Economics from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().