Hanoi's Roving Street Vendors : Navigating Cultural and Urban Transformations in the Digital Age

Sammanfattning: The paper emphasizes the resilience and transformative nature of Vietnam's street vending culture in the face of social change. In Vietnam, street vendors operate within a network of cooperation, interdependence, and communal support, forming a new economic system that exemplifies the emergence of a distinctive culture. The interconnectedness and evolution of street vendors, shop owners, and other entities coexisting in shared urban spaces are explored, drawing inspiration from Donna Haraway's concept of tentacular thinking. Street vendors bridge the gap between rural and urban life while preserving the social cohesion of their communities. Their resilience and adaptability are demonstrated by their capacity to negotiate shifting terrain and adjust to varying conditions. The intricate web of connections between authorities, business owners, and digital pioneers and authorities serves as an example of how dynamic and mutually beneficial their relationships are. This street vending culture, which is firmly rooted in kinship and communal ties, stands for harmony, accessibility, and a tie to ancestors within the context of the urban environment.