Exploring the lived experience of women street vendors in Tehran subway from the social and economic consequences of the Corona crisis

Subject Areas : sociology

Leila Nasrolahi Vosta ¹ , Fatemeh Norozi ²

1 - Assistant professor, Department of Social Sciences-Sociology, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. [e-mail]
2 - Department of Social Sciences-Sociology, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University,Tehran, Iran.

Received: 2023-12-03 Accepted : 2024-03-05 Published : 2024-12-19

Keywords: Experience, Phenomenology, Corona, Street Vendors,

Abstract :

The coronavirus pandemic has created a socio-economic crisis that has affected the workforce, including those in the informal economy, especially women peddlers. Based on this, the aim of the research is to analyze the lived experience of women street vendors in Tehran subway from the social and economic consequences of the Corona crisis. This research was conducted in a qualitative manner and with a descriptive phenomenological approach. Based on the theoretical saturation criterion, fourteen female street vendors of Tehran subway participated in this study. Semi-structured interview method was used to collect information. In order to analyze the interviews, the Collaizi method was used. The findings indicate that the lived experience of female peddlers in Tehran subway when facing the corona crisis can be classified in the form of five main themes (difficult and fragile living conditions, social exclusion, perceived injustice, job consequences and psychological injuries). According to the results of the research, in order to organize the situation of female peddlers inside the subway, especially in the conditions of the corona pandemic, permanent or mobile markets should be established and areas for their establishment should be built.