Understanding the Sociological Dimensions of the Informal Economy in the Suburbs of Mashhad:(Case Study of Qalakhayaban Neighborhood of Mashhad)

Informal economy is a manifestation of developments in the capitalist world is an important aspect of the urban economy. The primary goal of this research was to conduct a sociological analysis of the informal economy in Mashhad's outskirts, as well as a case study of the Qala-e-Khiaban neighborhood. To reach the goal, informal occupations were first classified and described while identifying informal occupations in the Qala-e-Khiaban neighborhood. A qualitative research method, semi-structured interview techniques, observation, and focus groups were used in this study. Residents, merchants, members of local community councils, and neighborhood elites who lived in the investigated region consisted the statistical population of this study. The most important findings indicated that 84 jobs in the informal economy sector are located in 21 occupational groups in the Qala-e-Khiaban neighborhood. Sociological analysis of informal occupations was done based on eight variables, including poverty persistence, the presence of women and children, social status, social exclusion, job specificity, social health, job instability, and a sense of powerlessness. The results showed that based on the quantity presented for these variables using factor analysis and cluster analysis, the jobs identified in this neighborhood were categorized into two main types: including informal jobs and semi-formal jobs.