When Assets are Vulnerabilities: An Assessment of Informal Recyclers’ Livelihood Strategies in Buenos Aires, Argentina

In situations of protracted social inequality and poverty, many of the assets that low-income urbanites rely upon are precarious, and therefore may involve risks and vulnerabilities that undermine the sustainability of their livelihoods. This study investigates how the assets that informal recyclers (cartoneros) in Buenos Aires, Argentina rely upon may contribute to their vulnerability context, can require that they make trade-offs in other assets, and may be impacted by broader social and economic dimensions of vulnerability. The study finds that livelihood assessments could be enhanced through a conceptual recognition of the interplay between assets and vulnerabilities.