Características socioculturales de subsistencia de los comerciantes ambulantes del Centro Histórico de Quito.

Abstract

The purpose of this ethnography is to explain the socio-cultural subsistence characteristics of the itinerant merchants of the Historic Center of Quito. It is intended to provide theoretical aspects on adaptive subsistence strategies and contribute to the recognition of street trading practices as another form of economic activity. The problem arises when proposing employment as a solution to socio-economic subsistence, causing other ways of organizing work to obtain economic resources remain outside the legal orbit. Street commerce makes use of the public space where it carries out social interactions, becoming a place of conflict. Therefore, it is considered important to recognize other ways of organizing work, such as an adaptive subsistence strategy, to avoid social conflict. The method used in ethnography was anthropological fieldwork; the techniques used were the anthropological participant observation and anthropological interview; finally, the instruments used for data collection were the notebook, field diary, camera and tape recorder. It was obtained that the sociocultural characteristics of subsistence of the itinerant merchants of the historic center of Quito are mobility, synchronous flexibility and free will as an identity. Mobility makes it easy to get around without difficulty. Synchronous flexibility allows interaction within your sales timing. And free will allows you to differentiate yourself socially.