STREET CHILDREN’S SUBCULTURE: ETHNOGRAPHIC INSIGHTS INTO PEER-TO-PEER PROTECTIVE NETWORKS

Abstract

The issue known as street children has been discussed in social sciences literature, primarily in the field of child welfare, sociology and urban studies. This paper seeks to address the subculture of street children with particular reference to the role of peer-to-peer protective networks. This subculture has long been ignored in dominant studies yet it remains a crucial part of the survival mechanisms adopted by street children. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this article explores how street children create informal protective networks to survive in urban conditions predicated on violence. Drawing on the research, it sheds light on essential mechanisms of mutual help, social hierarchies and informal control in the groups. Employing a multi-method approach of qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, this research adds to an understanding of the social lives and coping mechanisms of life on the streets for street-connected children. Findings indicate that peer networks are fundamental for survival providing emotional, social and physical protection. The research finds that knowledge about these networks is vital for policy makers interested in formulating successful policies to the benefit of street children and the causes of their marginalization.

Keywords: street children, subculture, peer-to-peer networks, ethnography, urban sociology, social protection, child welfare