Um olhar etnográfico sobre o espetáculo das bancas: onde se vendem "jornais e revistas" se promove a sociabilidade

Abstract

The research addressed in this dissertation constitutes an effort to understand how newsstands remain in operation despite the negative outlook regarding the continuity of their activity, due to the potential negative impacts they have experienced as a result of the decline of the printed magazine and newspaper market. To this end, the study aimed to identify and understand the economic, social, and cultural contexts and dynamics that permeate these establishments, to analyze how these factors intertwine and contribute to their persistence in the urban landscape. Designed as an ethnographic study, qualitative in nature and using an inductive method, it included the participation of one female news vendor and two male news vendors. The geographical scope adopted was a middle-class residential neighborhood in Vitória (ES). Through participant observation, the researcher sought answers in the everyday life of the newsstands, in the direct observation of the vendors’ routines, and in interaction with these professionals and with the regular patrons of the stands. The field notebook served as the primary recording tool, and a socioeconomic profile questionnaire was also administered, along with a recorded interview. The research revealed that newsstands continue operating through the sale of printed materials and that, although the internet may have taken customers and products away from them, it can also act in the opposite direction, boosting sales at these establishments. It was also observed that newsstands offer other products and services that were not necessarily incorporated into their routines as a consequence of the decline of the print market. Furthermore, it was found that newsstands are places (“stations”) that promote sociability in the neighborhood, an aspect that is important for ensuring their continuity and that has a positive impact on the social context in which these establishments are embedded. The notion of sociability was approached from Simmel’s perspective, along with the concepts of “pedaço” and “third place”.