Representaciones sociales de comerciantes ambulantes en novela y cine

This diffusion article aims to show how literature and cinema represent street vendors and how these portrayals influence social perceptions of them. Using an ethnographic approach, an analysis is conducted of novels such as Pintada y ojerosa, La región más transparente, and ¡Me llaman la Chata Aguayo!, as well as films including Santa, Los olvidados, El Mil Usos, and El Grito de los Coyotes. This approach allows for an understanding of the social imaginaries surrounding informal commerce, considering both expressions of stigmatization and the vendors’ strategies of resistance and agency. The conclusions highlight that literary and cinematic representations function as diffusion tools that reveal the complexity of urban life and demonstrate how narratives contribute to shaping social perceptions. Keywords: informal commerce, cinema, literature, social imaginary