title: Building beyond formality: Navigating Jamaica’s informal construction sector through class, culture and economic resilience

authors: Bennett, Sharayne

subjects: informal economy

abstract: This doctoral thesis is an exploration of Jamaica’s informal construction sector, unpacking its labour distinctiveness, actors, and activities while examining its deep-seated connections to the island’s historical, cultural, and socio-economic context. Through nine months of ethnographic engagement with an informal building construction crew, the thesis provides insights into the motivations of workers, interactions in the workplace, the culture of informal construction, and contributions to the national economy.
At its core, the study questions the persistence of Jamaica’s informal construction industry within the hegemonic context of a Western market economy. In this context, I examine the dynamics of class culture, including the rituals and forms of exchange among workers in this industry. The blurred lines between formal and informal aspects of building construction as well as the reproduction of technical knowledge also hint at reasons for the tenacity of the informal economy.
I critically engage with the concept of precarity to examine the long history of precarious lives in Jamaica. I explore the dichotomy of alienation versus ownership, emphasising the informal sector’s capacity to foster a sense of ownership in contrast to the alienation often experienced in formal systems. I also shine a light on gender disparities, discuss performances of masculinity and unveil the roles and experiences of women in this male-dominated environment. Finally, the study addresses the significant impacts of the 2019 Sars Cov2 pandemic on the social and economic realities within informal construction.

text: Building beyond formality: Navigating Jamaica’s informal construction sector through class, culture and economic resilience This doctoral thesis is an exploration of Jamaica’s informal construction sector, unpacking its labour distinctiveness, actors, and activities while examining its deep-seated connections to the island’s historical, cultural, and socio-economic context. Through nine months of ethnographic engagement with an informal building construction crew, the thesis provides insights into the motivations of workers, interactions in the workplace, the culture of informal construction, and contributions to the national economy.
At its core, the study questions the persistence of Jamaica’s informal construction industry within the hegemonic context of a Western market economy. In this context, I examine the dynamics of class culture, including the rituals and forms of exchange among workers in this industry. The blurred lines between formal and informal aspects of building construction as well as the reproduction of technical knowledge also hint at reasons for the tenacity of the informal economy.
I critically engage with the concept of precarity to examine the long history of precarious lives in Jamaica. I explore the dichotomy of alienation versus ownership, emphasising the informal sector’s capacity to foster a sense of ownership in contrast to the alienation often experienced in formal systems. I also shine a light on gender disparities, discuss performances of masculinity and unveil the roles and experiences of women in this male-dominated environment. Finally, the study addresses the significant impacts of the 2019 Sars Cov2 pandemic on the social and economic realities within informal construction.

year: 2024-11-27

title: Road user behaviour changes following a self-explaining roads intervention

authors: Mackie, Hamish W.

subjects: self explaining roads

abstract: The self-explaining roads (SER) approach uses road designs that evoke correct expectations and driving behaviours from road users to create a safe and user-friendly road network. Following the implementation of an SER process and retrofitting of local and collector roads in a suburb within Auckland City, lower speeds on local roads and less variation in speed on both local and collector roads were achieved, along with a closer match between actual and perceived safe speeds. Preliminary analyses of crash data shows that the project has resulted in a 30% reduction crash numbers and an 86% reduction in crash costs per annum, since the road changes were completed. In order to further understand the outcomes from this project, a study was carried out to measure the effects of the SER intervention on the activity and behaviour of all road users. Video was collected over nine separate days, at nine different locations, both before and after SER construction. Road user behaviour categories were developed for all potential road users at different location types and then used to code the video data. Following SER construction, on local roads there was a relatively higher proportion of pedestrians, less uniformity in vehicle lane keeping and less indicating by motorists along with less through traffic, reflecting a more informal/low speed local road environment. Pedestrians were less constrained on local roads following SER construction, possibly reflecting a perceptually safer and more user-friendly environment. These behaviours were not generally evident on collector roads, a trend also shown by the previous study of speed changes. Given that one of the objectives of SER is to match road user behaviour with functionally different road categories, the road user behaviour differences demonstrated on different road types within the SER trial area provides further reinforcement of a successful SER trial.

text: Road user behaviour changes following a self-explaining roads intervention The self-explaining roads (SER) approach uses road designs that evoke correct expectations and driving behaviours from road users to create a safe and user-friendly road network. Following the implementation of an SER process and retrofitting of local and collector roads in a suburb within Auckland City, lower speeds on local roads and less variation in speed on both local and collector roads were achieved, along with a closer match between actual and perceived safe speeds. Preliminary analyses of crash data shows that the project has resulted in a 30% reduction crash numbers and an 86% reduction in crash costs per annum, since the road changes were completed. In order to further understand the outcomes from this project, a study was carried out to measure the effects of the SER intervention on the activity and behaviour of all road users. Video was collected over nine separate days, at nine different locations, both before and after SER construction. Road user behaviour categories were developed for all potential road users at different location types and then used to code the video data. Following SER construction, on local roads there was a relatively higher proportion of pedestrians, less uniformity in vehicle lane keeping and less indicating by motorists along with less through traffic, reflecting a more informal/low speed local road environment. Pedestrians were less constrained on local roads following SER construction, possibly reflecting a perceptually safer and more user-friendly environment. These behaviours were not generally evident on collector roads, a trend also shown by the previous study of speed changes. Given that one of the objectives of SER is to match road user behaviour with functionally different road categories, the road user behaviour differences demonstrated on different road types within the SER trial area provides further reinforcement of a successful SER trial.

year: 2013

title: Maori perspectives of the environment: Proposed action strategies

authors: Whangapirita, Laura

subjects: Maori

abstract: The purpose of this report is to develop an action plan that identifies strategies to meet the future information needs of Environment Waikato with respect to Maori information.

text: Maori perspectives of the environment: Proposed action strategies The purpose of this report is to develop an action plan that identifies strategies to meet the future information needs of Environment Waikato with respect to Maori information.

year: 2003-12