Regulatory discretion, social networks and negotiated orders in street food regulations: a qualitative analysis of street food regulations in urban Ghana

ABSTRACT

Challenges with employment have ensured that street food vending has become a relevant economic activity for urban dwellers in developing economies. Consequently, city governments have come up with regulations to guide the sale of street food. This research investigated the use of discretion by street food regulators, social networks and relations between regulators and street food vendors and other negotiated agreements and their implications for the effective regulation of street foods. The research reveals that the use of discretion by regulators has potential negative implications for the implementation of street food laws since regulators overlook important aspects of regulatory laws. This research has also confirmed how street food vendors do not passively accept the discretionary decisions of regulators but rather actively engage in practices (establishing social networks and giving gifts) aimed at influencing the implementation of street food laws by regulatory authorities. This research recommends that future improvements to street food regulations must focus on helping regulators to use discretion defensively and learn how to work as agents of both the state and its citizens at the same time.

KEYWORDS:

• Street foods
• urban regulations
• discretion
• social networks
• negotiated order
• street level bureaucrats

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

John Boulard Forkuor is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Work, KNUST. He has a PhD in Sociology from KNUST. His research focuses on transformation in urban areas and and its implication for urban social life, informal sector occupations in urban areas and gender. His publications have appeared in journals like Urban Forum; Urban Review, Sage Open, Gender Studies, and Qualitative Social Work.

Eric Agyemang is a second-year PhD student and a research assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He holds Bachelor and MPhil degrees in Sociology from the University of Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, respectively. His research interest are in urban studies, environmental issues and institutional regulation.

Odongo Attoh Douglas is an MPhil graduate from the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and an MPhil in Sociology. He has publications on intellectual disabilities and healthcare. His research interest is in addressing marginalisation for vulnerable groups, especially in urban centres.