Lawhon, MaryMakina, Anesu2020-11-232020-11-232020https://hdl.handle.net/11244/326564There is a proliferation of scholarship based upon the experiences of southern cities. This study contributes by developing ideas rooted in the practices and norms of residents of the global south. It utilizes waste picking as a topic through which to investigate urban informal activities. Through qualitative methods, I gathered data over a 6-month period in Tshwane, South Africa where I observed the actors, situations and activities that comprise waste picking. I also explored the various conflicts between waste pickers and different actors, as well as the adjudication processes. While literature portrays informal waste picking as one of the least desirable occupations, I investigate the complex decision making processes, which create pathways into the profession and the decision to remain despite the associated stigma. High and increasing numbers, and other potential informal work opportunities suggest there might be other logics used to rationalize engagement in this work. In this dissertation, I argue that waste pickers are guided by logics beyond simple opportunism to meet their daily needs. In order to make this argument, I utilize an emergent framework, agonistically transgressive appropriations, which I argue may provide new grounds from which to theorize urban appropriations and informality. I found that many waste pickers in fact earn more money in comparison to other informal jobs. Critically, many chose to pick waste because of consistent earnings, despite the poor working conditions. Critically, I found there are codes and norms which govern the waste picking, but these are not agreed upon or universal; I elaborate on these codes and norms in this dissertation. These findings have implications for how we understand waste picking and informal activities. My study demonstrates the manner in which conceptual viewpoints from southern cases can contribute to a better understanding of urban geography.AfricaInformalityWaste picking