Learning on the Streets: Urban Youth and Vending in Zimbabwe, 2019-2022

Oosterom, Marjoke Anika (2024). Learning on the Streets: Urban Youth and Vending in Zimbabwe, 2019-2022. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-856675

African youth in urban contexts are often thought to be disruptive and prone to violent behaviour, while the majority remains peaceful. But if young people grow up in non-democratic settings, then which political ideas and behaviours do they acquire, and how? This project has three objectives:
1) To contribute to theory on the political socialization of urban African youth by analysing the role of urban spaces, informality and every experiences with authoritarian politics in political socialization of urban youth in Zimbabwe.
2) To enable civil society and donors in Zimbabwe to improve youth programming; and inform government actors and municipalities about suitable strategies for supporting urban livelihoods for youth.
3) To inform interventions by international donors and civil society that support youth in violent or conflict-affected settings.

Existing scholarship on political socialization has predominantly generated knowledge on 'socialization mechanisms' in Western settings and emphasizes the role of family, schooling and civic associations. Research in Africa has, however, mainly looked at the socialization of violent youth in/into gangs and violent extremism. The proposed project will fill an important gap in knowledge by focusing on youth that are not mobilized into violence, and by developing a new conceptual framework for studying political socialization of African, urban youth. The project political socialization scholarship by conceptualising 'sites of socialization' (urban spaces) and 'Socialization experiences' . This conceptual framework can be used in future research, thus contributing to theory in the field of youth studies. The project also contributes to the fields of international development and African politics.

The study will be carried out in Zimbabwe, where many unemployed youth in cities work as informal traders at designated urban markets. Some parts of these markets are regulated by city councils, while many markets are regulated ruling party agents, who act as political brokers. This study will explore how these political actors promote ideas and behaviours, and how this affects the political ideas and behaviours that vendors acquire. The study will use qualitative research methods that have been designed to generate robust data; and are safe and feasible within the political context of Zimbabwe, mainly interviews and observation. The project will first focus on understanding the nature of political dynamics of the markets; and how markets are regulated. The project will then focus on understanding how these space function as sites for political socialization, and the kind of political ideas and behaviours young vendors adopt as a result. The study pays attention to the gendered experiences in these spaces, and whether differences in educational and economic backgrounds matter for political socialization.

IDS collaborated with the University of Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe University, the Research & Advocacy Unity and Oxfam.

Data description (abstract)

Existing scholarship on political socialisation has predominantly generated knowledge on ‘socialisation mechanisms’ in Western settings; about the role of family, peers, schooling and civic associations for developing mainly civic forms of behaviour. Research in Africa has, however, mainly looked at the socialisation of violent youth, in/into gangs and violent extremism. The project addressed an important gap in knowledge by developing a new conceptual framework for studying political socialisation for contexts where the conventional models may not apply. As many African, urban youth work in the informal economy, this study will examine urban spaces and networks as sites for political socialisation; and conceptualize everyday experiences as socialization mechanism. The study was conducted in Zimbabwe. The findings show how urban spaces for informal trading are politized, and part of ruling party patronage. Young people's political understanding and agency form over time through the witnessing, experiencing and exposure to manifestations of authoritarian politics within everyday urban spaces. The findings demonstrate that past and present socialization experiences accumulate and become embodied knowledge concerning how authoritarian politics ‘work’ in Zimbabwe.

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