Browsing by Author "Timm, Suzall"

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    Modalities of regulation In the informal economy: a study of waste collectors in Cape Town
    (2015) Timm, Suzall; Shearing, Clifford D
    A large amount of people in South Africa earn their living from recycling waste on landfills or the streets in cities across the country. Much is written about those operating on landfills, although a few studies focus on those operating on the streets. The latter studies largely focus on the socio-economic conditions and collective organising capacity of these informal sector workers, and their relationships with other actors. Although, these studies provide a useful resource for understanding the nature of their work and the contexts in which it emerges, very little is known about how their work is regulated. With this in mind, this thesis asks the following research question; how are informal activities regulated in the city? Drawing on the idea of non-humans as actors (in Actor Network Theory terms) this thesis argues that informal activities are regulated by hybrid modes of regulation that include human/non-human and formal and informal assemblages. The research was conducted between 2008 and 2014. It made use of qualitative methodologies and approaches, i.e. semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis, as methods of data collection. The findings of the research reveal that informal activities are regulated in the followings ways. Firstly, it shows that objects such as trolleys, carthorses, bakkies and storage facilities are regulators that actively enabled or constrained informal waste activities. Secondly, the findings suggest that these nonhumans play an active role in organising the spaces where informal waste activities are carried out. Finally, the findings show that these nonhumans also play an active role in how informal waste collectors build alliances through assembling hybrid collectives of humans and non-humans in order to mobilise resources. The main finding in this study is that regulation in the urban informal economy is constituted by human/non-human and formal/informal assemblages. Including the non-human in the analysis of regulation in the urban informal economy is important because it contributes to a better understanding of regulation in the urban informal economy. It does so by highlighting that regulation in the urban informal economy is not only based on human social relations consisting of rules, norms, and institutions but is constitutive of assemblages that involve all actors (both human and non-humans).
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    Women in prison: international debates and local relevance
    (2007) Timm, Suzall; Van der Spuy, Eirena
    This paper sets out to examine, through a review of the criminological literature, the complex social phenomenon of female offending and imprisonment. In this review, the emphasis is placed on the contribution of feminist debates. The paper is divided into two parts. Part one looks at the feminist theoretical framework of female offending and the contribution of feminist research to our understanding of women's experiences inside prison. Part two explores the practical issues concerning women's imprisonment. Here, the emphasis is placed on international debates and policy implications with regard to women's imprisonment. By drawing on international debates and criminal justice practices relating to women in prison, this research paper will explore issues relevant to South Africa and the issues confronting incarcerated females. In addition to this review, a small set of case histories was done with ex female offenders which will contribute to understanding some of the issues confronting incarcerated females in South Africa.