RevistaTOMO,SãoCristóvão,v.44,e22356,2025DOI:10.21669/tomo.v44.22356SpecialIssue-CoastalSqueeze:BeachesunderSocio-EconomicandEcologicalPressureE-ISSN:2318-9010/ISSN:1517-4549SpecialIssueTheArgentineBeachasWorkspace:Temporalities,Materialities,andSocialEntanglementsMarianoPerelman*1AbstractInthisarticle,Ishowthatthebeachismorethanitsphysicalspaceandthelegislation.Iarguethatthebeachisaninterrelationbetweenphysicalspaceandpeople’sactionswhileinteractingwiththespace.Idiscussthefactthatbeachesarephysicalandsocialandchangeovertheyear.Furthermore,thebeachhasaliminalsitewithintheurbanspace.Inthisarticle,Ifocusononeoftheactorsconstitutingthebeach:thestreetvendors.Theviewfromthisgroupbecomescentraltounderstandingthebeachasamultiplesocialspace.Alookatvendorsalsoallowsfortheunderstandingofhowopenspacesarenegotiatedanddisputed.ThearticlealsofocusesontheBeachasacollaborativespacebetweenactorsandmaterialityandhowtheKeywordslegislationisusedsituationally.:Beaches;AmbulantVendors;Argentina;Ethnography;Temporalities;Workspace*CiudaddeBuenosAires,ArgentinaUniversidaddeBuenosAires,FacultaddeFilosofíayLetras,DepartamentodeAntropología.InvestigadorIndependiente.E-mail:mdperelman@gmail.comOrcid:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-delCONICET.4914-31981IntroductionDuringanafternooninJulyof2024inMardelPlata,IcrossedtheavenueuntilIreachedthetrunkthatdividesthepathfromthestairsleadingtothesand.Isawhowthesandandtheseaextendforkilometers.Ononeside,Isawonlyamanplayingwithhisdogandawomanstrolling.Lookingtheotherway,Isawsomechildreninjacketsandhatsrunningtowardstheseawithahandfulofsand(atraditionalArgentineinfusion)thattheythrewintothewaves.Theparents,holdingtheirintheirhands,followedthem.Theyaskedtheboysnottogetwet.Later,ImetJuliana,afamilyfriendwholivesinthecity,andshetoldmesomethingthatimmediatelycaughtmyattention:mate“Insummer,youcannotgotothebeachbecauseeverythingisprivatized;thereisnospace.Betweenthetentsandumbrellas,thevendors,thenoise,theonlythingyoucandoistakeadipandcomebackhome[shelivestwoblocksfromthebeach].Goingtothebeachisim-possible;it’snotaniceexperience.WegotothebeachinNovemberorDecember.DuringJanuaryandFebruary,thebeachisonlytocooloffandcomebackhome.OnanotherJulyafternoon,ImetupwithfriendswhousuallyspendtheirsummerandwintervacationsinasmalltowncalledMardelasPampas,about100kilometersnorthofMardelPlata(anArgentinecityintheProvinceofBuenosAires).Theyhaveownedafamilyhomethereforovertenyearsandspendalltheirholidays“onthecoast.”Wespentthemorningonthebeachwithonlyafewpeoplearound.Itwasnearlynoon,andthechildrenhadgottenhungry.MartíndecidedtocheckiftheParador[restaurant]wasopen.Itwasclosed.Then,witharesignedlook,herpartner,Macarena,motherofthreegirls,sayssmiling,Thisisdifferentinsummer.Youalwayshavesomethingtobuytoeat.It’sannoyingsometimesbecausethevendorsyell,buttheyalsoserve.Insummer,youwaitalittlewhileforavendortoshowup.Nowwemustleavethebeachandmoveeverything.That’snogood,shelaughs.Inwinter,therearemanyclothesandfewerpeople.Thesoundoftheseaispresent.Youcanhearthewavescrashing,thecriesofseagulls,andthebarkingofdogs.Insummer,peoplewearbathingsuitsandbeachesarecrowded.Musicisloud,boysareshouting,guitarsarebeingplayed,andstreetvendorsarebusy.Inwinter,thesandiscold;insummer,itburns.Inwinter—exceptforafewsurfers—theseaisempty;insummer,beachesarefullofpeople.InArgentina,winteriscold,andsummeriswarm.Theclimatemakesbeaches,especiallythoseintheProvinceofBuenosAires,pilgrimageplacesforthousandsofpeoplewhovisittheseasidecitiesduringthesummer,frommid-DecembertotheendofFebruary,insearchofrestandrelieffromtheheat.Whatiscommonlycalled“theseason”disruptsthedailylifeofbeachtowns.Duringthisperiod,BeachTimeeveryonelivesaccordingtoaspecificspatial-temporalrhythm.Iwillcallthisthe“BeachTime.”BeachTimeisasocial-temporalandspatialphasethatcreatesnewformsofvisibilityandworkbeachesopportunities.Itisatimewhenruleschange,andbeachesbecomeentirelydifferent.alsohelpsusseethatarenotthesamethroughouttheyear.Forthistohappen,citiespreparethemselvesbytransformingtheirurbaninfrastructure(Abran-tes,2024).Atthesametime,thespaceisreshapedbyvariousinfrastructures—somemoreper-manent,likebeachresorts,tents,umbrellas,andrestaurants,andothersmoreephemeral,suchas2MarianoPerelmanpeoplethemselvesasinfrastructures(Simone,2004),whohelpconstitutethebeach.Amongthesearestreetvendors.ManytravelfromBuenosAiresorotherpartsofthecountry,whileothersarelocalresidentswho,duringthosemonths,takeontheroleofbeachvendors.Basedonfieldworkwithbeachvendors—supplementedbyobservationsofvacationers’practicesandspatialchanges—Iaimtodemonstratethatbeachesaremorethanjustphysicalspacesorlegalclassifications.Iarguethatbeachesemergefromtheinteractionbetweenphysicalspaceandthewayspeopleengagewith,discuss,andutilizeit.Inthissense,beachesarenotisolatedentities.Theyarebothphysicalandsocial,andtheirfeatureschangebetweenthehighseasonandtheof-f-season.Thisperspectiveisneitherfixednordoesitstrictlycontrast“beachtime”withothertimeframes.Instead,beachtimeisnotlimitedtotheofficial“season”;itspanstheentireyear.Atthesametime,thebeachitselfinfluencesandchangespeople’sbehaviors.TheperspectivefromstreetvendorsiscrucialforunderstandingBeachTimeandhowthisparti-culartimeisnotjustasimplecontrastoradditiontotheseason.Askeyfiguresinmanypeople’svacationexperiences—likeMacarena—theyhelpexplainhowopenspacesarenegotiatedandchallenged.Eventhebeachitselfchangeswiththepresenceofvendors.Re-thinkingbeaches.SocialandTemporalTransformationsoftheArgentineCoastalSpaceTherearespecificphysicalcharacteristicsthatdefinewhatabeachis.TheRoyalSpanishAcademy,forexample,definesthebeachas“Riversideoftheseaorofalargeriver,madeupofsandbanks1Thebeachisalsoalandform,asedimentationofmaterialslikesandinonanalmostflatsurface.”acoastalarea.Thismaterial?Perspectiveallowsustoclassifyawiderangeofplaces.Thebeachhasphysicalfeaturesthatcanvary:beacheswithmountains,dunes,vegetation,waves,andcoldorwarmwaterswhereyoucanswimyear-round.Localprocessesalsoshapethesespaces.Inad-vertisementsorrankingsaboutthebestbeaches,itisoftenhardtodistinguishbetweenphysicalspaceandqualitieslikebeing“virgin,”“exotic,”“empty,”“entertaining,”having“infrastructure,”orwhetheritisworthvisitingatall.AsLow(2025,p.1)saidBeaches—fromseashorestolakesidesandriverfronts—areauniqueformofpublicspacevaluedfortheirenvironmental,social,cultural,aesthetic,spiritual,andaffectiveresourcesandmeanings.Theyareplaceswherewaterandlandcometogethercreatingshorelinesofopportunitiesforworking,playing,relaxing,strolling,socializing,picnicking,andliving—inscenicseasidehomesthatrangefromself-builtshelterstomultimillion-dollarmansions.howThepointhereisallthesehappenandhowtoinvestigatethem.Inrecentyears,beachstudieshavegainedincreasingattention.Ononehand,as(BidetandDevien-ne,2017)argue,thepoliticizationofbeachesliesattheheartofcontemporarypoliticalandecono-In:Diccionariodelalenguaespañola1PLAYA.tps://dle.rae.es/playa.Acessoem:Agosto2024.REALACADEMIAESPAÑOLA..[Madrid]:RAE,[2014-].Disponívelem:ht-3TheArgentineBeachasWorkspacemicconflicts(alsoseeSalleandBrunointhisissue).Theseincludetheimpactsofclimatechangeandurbanization,suchasrisingsealevels;thegrowingprivatizationofcoastalareas;andthetransfor-mationofbeachesintoleisurezones,whichgeneratestensionswithotherindustriesandoftenleadstotheappropriationofthesespacesbycertainsocialgroupstothedetrimentofothers.Furthermore,beacheshavebecomesitesforgeneratingsocioeconomicvaluethroughvariouspu-blicuses.Thishaspromptedscholarstoexaminetheconsequencesofbeachesnotbeingpublicanymore,andtoinvestigatewhypublicaccesstoandcontroloverthesevaluablecommonresour-cesareincreasinglybeinglost(Low,2025).Somestudieshavealsohighlightedtheneedtoun-derstandbeachesassitesthatembodyacomplexrelationshipbetweennatureandculture,callingforanapproachthattakesintoaccountthephysicalcharacteristicsofthebeachasanon-humanactor(Machado,2000).Followingthisperspectiveandthenecessityofamultiscalar(BidetandDevienne,2017,p.5-6)andrelationalanalysis,butcenteredonparticularspatialitiesthatcreatelocalformsofappropria-tionandpolitization(Perelman,2025),someinvestigationsshowthatbeachesareplaceswhereracialrelationsarereproduced(Farias,2006;Low,2025),involvingdisputesoverthelegitimateuseofspaceandwaysofdoingbusiness(Perelman,2025;Sartore,2019),whicharemarkedbyspatialdynamics(understoodasasocialproductionofpowerrelations)andlifetrajectoriesthatshapebeachcommerce(Sartore,2023).etal.Asbothlocalandglobalspaces,beachesvarydependingontheirhistory,location,andabilitytofostersocialprocesses.Beachesareshapedbytheirphysicalfeatures,oftenstudiedbygeogra-phers,buttheyarealsoaworkspaceforbeachvendors—informalworkerswhosellgoodsandservicestobeachgoers.Theirpresencevarieswiththeseasons.InAracaju(Sergipe,Brazil),forinstance,vendorsareac-tivethroughouttheyear,althoughtheirnumbers—andthoseofbeachbarstaff—declineduringthelowseason.AsSartore(2019)notes,beachbarownersrelyonsummerprofitstogetthroughthewinter.Nonetheless,theyarealwayspresent.IntheCaribbean,vendorpresenceremainscon-sistent.InRiodeJaneiro,forexample,workrelatedtothebeachasalivelihoodcanbeseenasacontinuousdailyactivitythatreflectsspecificandenduringmoralitiesandspatialrelationships(Ferreira,2024;Pires,2020).Pires(2020)illustratesthisculturalcontextbyshowinghowBrazilianbeachvendorsinRiodeJaneiroevaluatetheirbusinessesalongsidewalksandavenuesnearthebeach,andhowtheirdailyworkisconnectedtothespace.InPires’scasestudy,workingonthebeachbecomesalifeproject,morallyvaluedovertime.Hisfindingsrevealhowdailyrelationshipsdevelopdifferentwaysofvaluinglifestyles,leadingtoeconomicstabilitybasedonmoraljudgmentsaboutwhatconstitutesadecentlifeandhowpersonalrespectfunctionsasasocialrelationship.MostoftheArgentineseasidetownsandcitieschangewiththearrivalofthebeachseason.Sea-sonaltourismtransformscitylifeandcreatesspecificmarkets(labor,housing,etc.)(DeAbrantes,2024).Eventhelargestcoastalcity,MardelPlata(Argentina’ssixth-largesturbanarea),isexpe-riencingsignificantchanges.Accordingtothe2022census,thecity’spopulationwas667,082resi-dents.Inrecentseasons,overonemillionpeoplehavespenttheirsummersthere,400kilometersfromtheArgentinecapital.Goingtothebeachisundoubtedlyoneofthemainactivitiesforsummervacationers.Itisalsoisaparticulartheworkplaceforthousandsofpeople.OnthecoastofBuenosAires,BeachTime4MarianoPerelmanmomentwhentheBeachistransformedfromitswinterculturalsetting.Notonlyaretheycityresidents,butalsomanystreetvendorswhotravelandreshapetheestablishedmarketswithinthesecities.Thesummerseasonbringsasenseoftemporalitythatfostersnewrelationshipsinthephysicalspace.Vendorsbecomepartofthebeachexperience.Figura1–BeachesduringwinterSource:Image1(losviajeros.com);Image2(theauthor,inJuly2023)Figura2–BeachesduringsummerBeachasacommercialspace.TheBeachTimeSource:Image3(InfobaeNewspaper);Image4(ClarínNewspaper)OnaWednesdayinJuly2023,IwasinasmallcoastaltownnearVillaGessell(anotherArgentinecityintheProvinceofBuenosAires).Itwaswinter,andthetemperaturewasfivedegreesCelsius.Thesunwasslowlywarmingthesand,andthewindwasnearlyconstant.Fewpeoplewalkedalongthebeach.Itwas11:30inthemorningwhenSoniaarrivedwithamodifiedcarttomoveea-silyacrossthesand.SheapproachedmeandaskedifIwantedtobuyapieceofcakeshehadmade.Shetoldmeaboutallthevarietiesshehadtooffer.Ithankedher,butIdidnotwantanything.Wecontinuedtalking.SheexplainedshelivesinMardelasPampas,asmalltownontheBuenosAirescoast.“Ilefteverythingafewyearsagoandsettledhereyear-round.Forme,thisisaprivilege.Lookatwhattheseais:peace.”Thatwasthefirstofseveralconversationswehad.Soniaisoneofthefewbeachvendorswhosellonthebeachyear-round.“Iamtheonlyone,alongwithPedro[cornvendor],whoishereallyear.Thenmanycomeinsummer,”shesaid.Soniamentionsthatthebeachbecomescrowdedinsum-5TheArgentineBeachasWorkspacemerwithpeople,police,andmunicipalofficials.Theassociatedrestaurantshavestaffsellingfood,andshemustnegotiateschedulesandspaces.Duringsummer,thetimeforsales,themethodsofselling,andhowshemovesaroundonthebeachallchange.ThedescriptionofDeAbrantes(2024)aboutthecoastalresorttownofVillaGesell,oneofthemostimportantdestinationsontheBuenosAirescoast,isworthcitingbecauseithighlightshowthearrivalofBeachTimechangeseverything.temporadaBeforeDecember14—whenthe[season]officiallybegins—thecitypreparestowelcomeoneandahalfmilliontourists.BetweenOctoberandDecember,itispossibletoobservehowthelandscapeissetuptomeettheneedsofthoseinhabitingthecoastalareafordays,weeks,fortnights,ormonths.Thissnapshotshowsthedeploymentofsummerlei-sureandrecreationinfrastructure.Beachresortsstartsettinguptentsandpreparingtheirfacilities;propertyownersmowlawns,painthousefacades,andcarryoutinteriorrepairs;freshlywashedsheetsandtowelsfillhotelscenes;workersloadandunloadmerchandisefromvarioustrucks;storeemployeescleananddecorateshopwindows;barsexpandtheiroutdoorseatingandsetupumbrellas;hoteliersupdatetheirestablishments—mattresses,nightstands,comforters,lightingfixtures,tablecloths;realestateagenciesbrightentheirsignsandupdatepropertylistingsonbothphysicalandonlineplatforms;seasonalworkersarriveintown.Timealsomovesfaster:thepaceofpublicspacesquickens,leadingtoshiftsinhowthelandscapeisexperienced(DeAbrantes,2024,p.196).OntheBeachTime,timespeedsup,spacechanges,andrelationshipsarealtered.Onthecoast,the“temporada”changesthecities.Themovementofthousandsofpeoplechangesthelandscape.Amongthosethousandsofpeoplewhomobilize,manystreetvendorsworkinthecityofBuenosAiresyear-round.AsIhavediscussedelsewhere(Perelman,2025),manystreetvendorslivinginBuenosAiresheadtothecoastto‘season.’Thisinvolvesmobilizingpeople,resources,andmoralities.However,theactionsofthevendorsonthebeach,ratherthansimply‘reproducing’thepracticesandrelationshipsthatoccurinthecity,causethevendorstotransformtheirprac-ticesonthebeach.ItisalsotheworkingtimeformanypeoplewholiveinMardelPlata.ManyofthemdoseasonbetweentheendofDecemberandFebruary.Duringtherestoftheyear,theyengageinotheractivities,suchasplumbing,electricalwork,orcarpentry.DuringtheBeachTime,theybecomevendorsandevenjointheStreetVendorsUnion(Sivara).Thebeachinwin-terisnotaworkplace.Juana,wholivesinMardelPlata,makesacleardistinctionbetweentherestoftheyearandthe,orrun;thebeachisarelaxingsummerseason.Atfirst,theyusethebeachtowalk,drinkspacetobreaktheroutine.DuringtheBeachTimeisacomplexplaceforherandherfamily.Ononehand,theygotheretoescapetheheat,butontheotherhand,theytrytoavoidthebeachitself:“Thenoiseisunbearable,thetraffic.Ilivetwoblocksawayfromthebeach,andinsummer,here[shereferstothestreetwhereshelives]thereisnoroomtoparkthecar!It’sallamess,”shesays.mateDuringbeachtime,aprocessofdevelopingacontroversialmarkettakesplace.Iprefertousethisconcepthereinsteadof‘contestedmarket’(SteinerandTrespeuch,2016)—becauseofitsuseful-,2019)—orilegalities(Hiratanessforotherformsofcommerceonbeaches,suchas(SartoreVeloso,2014;Misse,2008;Telles,2009).Iaminterestedinilluminatingtheproductionprocessofaspecificmarketthatemergesinaparticulartempo-spatialmoment(theBeachTime),whichtransformsspaces,people,andmoralities.EvenifBeachTimeisacommercialmoment(especiallyoff-season),itispossibletoseethatitcreatesmultiplecircuitsofcommerce.etal.6MarianoPerelmanAcordingtoZelizer(2004),acircuithastheseelements:adistinctivesetofsocialrelationsamongspecificindividuals;sharedeconomicactivitiescarriedonbymeansofthosesocialrelations;commonaccountingsystemsforevaluationofeconomicexchanges;sharedmeaningsthatpeopleattachtotheireconomicactivities;awell-definedboundaryseparatingmembersofthecircuitfromnon-memberswithsomecontrolovertransactionscrossingtheboundary.Whatthebeachallowsyoutoseeisamultiplicityofcircuitsthatinterweavetempo-spatially.“TheBeachasaPlace-Event:BeachVendorsandtheircircuitsofcommerceAfewyearsago,asketchcalled“Doyouwantmetomakethesoundofthebeachforyou?”wentviral.Thesketchshowsayoungcoupleonahighwayandthemansaying,“Ineedvacations,mylove.Ican’ttakeitanymore.Ineedtheyeartoend,Ineedthebeach,tobeatsea”.Thecouple’sresponsewas,“Doyouwantmetomakethesoundofthebeach?”towhichthemansaidwithoutmuchenthusiasm,“OK.”Then,thewomanbegantoyell,“Wehavemineralwater,Sprite,Coca-Cola,refreshingdrinks,wehaveCoca-Cola(...)andcinnamonpastries(...)wehavechurros”.2AccordingtoArgentinelaw,provinceshavejurisdictionoveruptothreemilesfromtheshoreline,whichequalstwelvemiles(Argentina,1997).However,themanagementofcoastalbeachesisde-legatedtomunicipalities,whichareresponsibleforoverseeingandcontrollingtheseareas.Muni-cipalitiesmayrequirecredentials,suchasproofofresidence,orproductstobesoldforbeachven-dors.Theyarenotprohibitedfromoperating,althougheachmunicipalitycanregulatetheirworkorevenprohibitit.AlthoughArgentinebeachesarelegallypublic,manylargeconcessionzonesareallocatedtoprivatecompanies,whichofferservicessuchassellingfood,providingfacilitieslikerestrooms,offeringsportsactivities,andrentingdeckchairs,tents,andumbrellas.Operatingonlyduringthesummerandinthemonthsleadinguptotheseason,manystartmakingrepairsandpreparationstoreopen.Fortherestoftheyear,theyremainclosed.DuringBeachTime,rulesareformedthroughinteractionsamongdifferentactors.Macarenadoesnotknowallthenegotiationsvendorsmustgothroughtosell.Forher,theyarejustthereinthesummer.Thesameappliesinthesketch.Thevendorsareonthebeachduringthesummer.Theyarepartofthebeach.Regardinglegislationonbeachvendors,itisrarelyenforcedduringtheoff-seasonmonths.ThefreedomtowalkalongbeachesinwintercontrastswiththeregulationsenforcedinsummertoallowBeachTime,andtheOff-Seasonleadstorulesthatarecontinuallynegotiated.Inotherwords,insteadofviewingurbanlifeassolelyshapedbylegalnorms(ortheirviolation)–afocusofmanyworks,asAzuelaemphasizesandcriticizes(Azuela,2016)–andbytheunexpectedeffectsitisessentialtoconsidertheagencythatlegalnormshaveontheorganizationandlifeinthecity,oftheactorsinutilizingthesenorms.2“–Ah,necesitovacaciones,miamor.Nopuedomás,aestaalturadelaño.Necesitoplaya,estarenelMar–¿Queresquetehagaelsonidodelaplaya?–Si,dale–Hayaguaminaral,Sprite,Coca,HayCoca,bebidaFrescaCoca(…)Alospastelitos,Haychurro”¿Querésescucharelsonidodelaplaya?FRICK,Francisco.www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLn0v4gQM04.Acessoem:Febrero2023.[S.l.]:YouTube,19dez.2016.51s.Disponívelem:https://7TheArgentineBeachasWorkspaceBeachTimeForvendors,isconstitutedbymanagingthelegalitiesthatdefinethebeachasaworkplace.Thebeachsettingisaprimeexampleofthisnegotiationofrules.AsImentioned,thepresenceofvendorsisvaried.Someofthemliveinthecoastalcities.OtherstravelfromBuenosAiresto“makeseason.”Thefollowingstoryillustratesthedifferentwayseachpersonnegotiatestheircommercialpresenceonthebeach.Theirstorieshighlighttwoformsof‘beachgrabbing’drivenbybeachvendorstryingto“dotheseason”:oneisconnectedtoasharedsenseofplacethatjustifieslocalbeachvendors’presence;theotherinvolvesoutsiderswhousetheirexperienceasstreetvendorstonavigatethedifferentrulesforsellingonthebeach.Esteban,asummerbeachvendor,livesinMardelPlataandhassearchedforavendororganizationforyears.Duringtheyear,heisdedicatedtootheractivities,especiallyplumbing.AsDeAbrantesstates,Thetourism–seasonalandunstable–createsacomplex,informal,precariouslabormarket,essentiallygearedtowardthethirdsector.Theworkinghoursarepeculiar,unpre-dictable,flexible,andtormentedbecauseoncetheseasonends,thechancesoffindingworkarescarceornonexistent(DeAbrantes,2024a,p.138).Estebandealswiththesedifferentmarkets:“Whensummercomes,it’saproblem.Peoplecomefromoutsideanddonotrespectthebeach.Wearehereallyear.Wetakecareofthebeach,preventdrugsales,andstopthefts.Wenotonlyprovideasalesservicebutalsoofferasocialservice.Estebanwasconstrictingalegitimatejustificationforhispresenceandoccupationofthebeachspace.Heknowshecouldbeexpelled,sohetriestopresenthimselfasalegitimateworker.AsPires(2020)describesinthecaseofRiodeJaneiro,thepoliticalactofbeingonthebeachcannotbeunderstoodexceptbywhatisconsideredfairandlegitimateatagivenmoment.Therefore,inadditiontonegotiatingwithpoliceandthemunicipality,beachvendorsalsoaimtobefriendlyandprotectiveofbeachvisitors.“Peopleherehaveknownmeforyears.TheyknowthatIamagoodperson,”hesays.ForEstebanandmanyvendorslivingincoastalcities,thereisatensionbetweentimespentonthebeachandtimeworkinginthesamecity.“Sometimes,onlongweekends,IcometosellbecauseImightmakealittlemoney,butit’sanotherbeach,”hestates.BeachTimeFormanyothersellers,thesituationisdifferent,andtheirisopposedtowinter,sincetheyliveinthecity.Juanisayear-roundstreetvendor,sellingproductsonbusesinBuenosAires.Hissaleshoursstartaround10a.m.whenbusesarelesscrowded.Healsotakestimetochatwiththedriver,oftengivingthemasmallgiftfromwhathesells.Aftermanyyears,Juanknowswheretheinspectorsare.Oneoftheinspectors’jobsistocheckthatnostreetvendorslikehimareonbuses,assellingthereisprohibited.However,healsoknowsthatsometurnablindeyetohispresence.Juantriestofollowascheduledroute,butvarioussetbacksoftendisrupthisplans,includinglatebuses,roadclosures,andpeople’sflow.“Youhavetoknowhowtochoosethebuses,”hesaysashedecidesnottoboardonebecause—hethinks—ithasfewpassengers.Forwork,Juan,likemostvendors,establishesandmaintainsrelationshipswithothersandbuildsaspecificspace.Raulsellsdifferentitemsontrains.Healsoworksduringtimeswhenthewagonsarenotfull.“Iftherearemanypeople,youcannotwalk;peopleareallcrowdedtogether,inabadmood.Youcannotworkwellinthoseconditions.”UnlikeJuan,henegotiateshisroutewithothervendors.8MarianoPerelmanRaúlcreatesafixedscheduleandroute.Theconstraintsofspacelimitvendors’practices.Toorganizestreetvending,differentsellersnegotiatewhichproductstosellandwhichonestheycanoperate.JuanandRaúl,alongwithdozensofvendorsIworkedwith,activelymaintainedinterpersonalre-lationshipstoselltheirproducts.Theseconnectionsarekeptbothduringthesellingprocessandoutsideofworkhours.Forexample,theyspendtimeinbars,neighborhoods,andchurches.Inthe-sespaces,informationaboutproductscirculates,friendshipswithsecuritypersonnelareformed,sellingpricesarenegotiated,andterritoriesaredividedamongthevendors(Perelman,2017).Thesellingtimeresultsfromaseriesofrelationshipsthatvendorscreateandmaintain.ThevendorsIworkedwithsaidtheirfreedomtoworkandnotpayingthepoliceispartoftheirarreglarvalues.“Weorganizeourselves,talkamongsteachother,butdonotpayanythingtothepolice.”Freedomandnotpayingtowiththepolice()arekeymoralvaluesindailylifeinBuenosAires.Forthesevendors,thebeachesduringthesummerappearasspacesdisputedwherediffe-rentactorsareseekingtore-adapttheirlegitimatewaysofusingpublicspace.Themassiveexodusofpeopletothecoastandvacationsmakesthebeachesthedesiredworkspace.place-eventThespatialnatureofthebeachandthevariousactorspresentmeantheymustreadjusttheprac-ticestheydeemlegitimatetowork.Thisre-adaptationtakesplaceduringandshapesthebeachintoa(Borges,2003;Daniel,1996).Likethecitystreets,workingonthebeachesinvolvesaseriesofdailyrelationshipsbasedonnegotiations.Thattripinvolvesgoingtoadifferentterritory,whichisalsomanagedwithadifferentlogicthantheonegoverningthecity.Therefore,theyneedtocreatenew.Thetransitionfromthecitytothebeachinvolvesacceptingdifferentwaysofbuildingspace.arreglosBeachTimeAndthesamespacealsoshapesthesales.InmystudyofstreetvendorsinBuenosAires,Ishowedhowurbaninfrastructurechangesvendors’practices.Forinstance,thoseworkingontrainshadtoorganizethemselvestosharethespace,thetraincars,andbuildrelationshipswithconductorsandstationvendors.Incontrast,thosesellingonbusesdevelopdifferentrelationshipsamongthemsel-vesbecauseahighernumberofbusesallowsthemtomovemorefreely(Perelman,2013;2017).Thematerialityandspatialityofplacesallowdifferentfreedomsofmovement.However,socialgroupsalsoconstrainmovements.Likethecitystreets,workingonthebeachimpliesaseriesofdailyrelationshipsfoundedonnegotiations.Payingforparticipatingintheseasonwasseenaspartoftherulesthatmanagedthebeaches.Itispartofthedynamicsthatthebeachasaplace-e-ventenables.Ifpayingtoworkcouldbeavoidedinthecity,thebeachwasalegitimateplaceforreshapedbythesewaysofrelatingandcreatingthecircuitsthat.Timeandtheofcommerce.requiresrethinkingspatialnegotiationsforworkingandlivinginabroadersense.Thebeach’stimeandspatialexperiencedonotendinthesand.spaceofthebeachaDoingseasonInMardelPlata,thebeachesarecontestedspaceswheredifferentgroupstrytoredefinehowtheyusepublicspacelegitimately.Duringbeachseason,certainrulesareestablishedtotrans-formthebeachintoamarketplace.Theseinteractionsshapethebeachasasocialenvironment.“TheBeachisanotherworld.Itisgreat.Thesand,theheat,andthesunaretiringandhard.Butthereisthesea,thefriends,theparty,”hereplied.Theformofthebeachincludesalltheactivi-tiesthatoccurduringtheseasonandisnotsolelyaboutsales,althoughtheyareconnectedtosocializingonthebeach.Vendorsusepublicspace,whichlimitstheirsalespractices,mobility,andsocialinteractions.9TheArgentineBeachasWorkspaceToconstructbeachesassalesspacesduringtheseason,peoplemustgenerateaffinitypracticeswithothervendors,negotiatesalesspaces(whichimpliesarrangements),andbuildlegitimatewaysofusingpublicspace.Thewaytheyofferproductsisalsodifferent.AsPedrotoldme“Youmustmakeyourselfseenamongmanypeople.Youmustputyourbody,walkamongthepeople,youneedtobelistenedto,andyouneedtoletthemknowwhatyouareselling.Youhavemoretime,anyway,notlikeontrains.Youhaveallday;youmustwalkandlookatpeople.Getattentionandmakeyourselfseen.Itiseasierontrains.However,here,peoplearedoingotherthings.Furthermore,manyareannoyedwhenyouyellintheirear[laughs].Youmusttakecareofthesunandwalkonthesand,butitisworthit.Butatthesametime,thematerialityofthebeachinfluencesthesale.Forexample,inCopacabana,RiodeJaneiro,thelife-guardposts,whicharehighlyvisible,serveasboundariesforthevendors.Therearealsodifferent‘zones’ofwork:thewetsand,thedrysand,andtheroadway.Asaresult,toadaptthesandplaysacrucialroleindistinguishingdifferenttypesofwork(LouroFerreira,2024).Thespecialtyofthebeachrequiresvendorstothebeachenvironment.ImentionedSo-nia’scase,whohasbuiltamodifiedcarttomoveeasilyacrossthesand.Thosewhotraveltoworkseasonallyalsomodifytheirpracticesoradapt.Theclothingisdifferent,andthewaytheypresentaboutthespacethemselvesanddisplaytheproductsvaries.‘Forthebeach,Iusealargecardboardtobeabletodisplayalltheproducts,sotheyarevisible.Inthecity,ontheotherhand,it’smorethatworks.”BeachTimeSalesduringandthecircuitofcommercedifferfromsellingoutsidetheseasonorwithinthecity.AsJuan’scaseshows,thespatiality(streetsofBuenosAires,beachesofMardelisoftenframedinrelationtootherculturalPlata)limitshiswillingnesstonegotiate.contexts.Fortourists,itcontrastswithnon-vacationperiods.ForresidentsofMardelPlata,lifeoutsidetheseasondiffersgreatlyfromlifeduringtheseason.StreetvendorsareconnectedtotheirworkinBuenosAires.BeachTimeThedynamicsof“beachculture,”suchasappropriatebehavior,spacesharing,andcommercialactivities,areofteninfluencedbyinformalagreementsandsocialpracticesratherthanstrictlegalregulations.Thepeopleinvolved,includingbeachgoers,vendors,andlocalauthorities,navigateandinterpretthesenormsthroughtheirinteractionsanddecision-makingprocesses.Thishighli-ghtstheimportanceofsocialnorms,sharedunderstandings,andagencyinshapingthebeachex-perienceandbroaderurbanlife.Itunderscorestheevolvingnatureof-makingandthecontinuousnegotiationofnormswithinthecityenvironment.BeachTimeseasonthatshapestheBeacheveninalargecitylikeMardelPlataiscreatedinrelationtoThetheoff-period.AsLow(2016,p.76)states,“Studiesofplace-makingandthesocialconstruc-tionofspacefrequentlydrawuponmemoryandmemory-makingasadominantmodeofinscribingmeaningatvariousscalesfromthemostintimatetothenationalandtransnational.”Beaches,likeallspaces,areplacesofmemory.Placesareconfiguredthroughrelationshipsthat“meetandinter-twineataparticularpoint”(Massey,1994,p.19)andwithotherplacesthroughacomplexnetworkofpracticesandmemories(Gordillo,2014).Everyplaceisproducedintensionwithotherplaces.Thesetensionsaremadeculturallytangiblethroughthespatializationofmemory(Gordillo,2010).Thetimeofthebeachconstitutesthebeachataspecificmoment.Itisaspecifictime-spacewherestreetvendorsandthecommercialnetworkformedthroughnegotiationsarephysicallypresent10MarianoPerelmanandalsoremembered.Understandingbeaches,therefore,requiresarelationalandsituatedpers-pective.Placescanbephysicallyandtemporarilyfarawayorclose.Therelationships,presenta-tions,andmemories(andthefeelingsthatemerge)allowforanunderstandingoftheplacesinimplies(re)buildingaterritoryfromnewrelationtotheirdistances.So,forvendors,doingrelationshipsmarkedbyworkoutofseason.FinalWordsseasonconstellationThebeachisthephysicalmaterialspacemadeofsandandsea.Itisalsoaseriesofrelationshipsandaofplaces.Beachesoccupyaliminalpositionwithinurbanspace:theyarepu-blicspaces,partofthecity,yetoperateaccordingtodistinctlogicsandboundaries.Focusingonthebeachasapublicworkingspaceisnecessarytounderstandthesocialprocessesthat—likethewaves—comeandgoandestablishwaysofdoingandbeingonthebeach.Thisapproachalsoemphasizesthebeachasacollaborativespacebetweenactorsandmateriality(Latour,2007;Stan-gers,2010;Tsing,2005)andhowlegislationisusedsituationally.Myintentioninthistext,focusingontheworkofstreetvendors,wastwofold.Ontheonehand,itbeachaimedtoshedlightonthefactthatvendorsworkingontheBeachresorttoaseriesofpracticestimethatenablethemtousetheBeachasaworkingspace.Thisoccursduringaspecifictime,the.Thisleadsmetothesecondissueofamoregeneralnature:toconsidertheBeachitself.AllthathappensontheBeachisunseparated.Mypointinthisarticlewasthatbeachesarenotsome-thinginthemselves,butbeachesarealltheprocessesthatoccurthere.Thetimeatthebeachilluminatesnotonlythespatialdisputessurroundingtheuseofbeachesbutalsotheveryconstitutionofthebeachesthemselves.Theactivityofvendors,negotiations,aswellastherelationalworktheyproducetosell.But,inturn,thepresenceofvendorstransformsthebeachexperience.Peopleonvacationseevendorsaspartofthesummerbeachscene.Atthesametime,thevendors’actionsnotonlydependonthearrangementstheycanmakebutalsoonthephysicalcharacteristicsofthebeachitself,includingtheweatherandthedensityofthesand.Vendorsactivateaseriesofrelationships,makingitpossibletosellandtransformthebeachintoanegotiatedworkspace.Rulesthatshapethebeachchangethroughouttheyear,asdothespatiality,sounds,andexperiencesonthebeach.Inotherwords,vendorsarepartofthebeachinsummerandalsorevealmultiplesocialprocessesthatproducethebeach.“Thebeach”referstothephysicalspacethatbordersthesandandthesea,anetworkofrela-tionships,andacollectionofplaces.Althoughthesaleoccursonthebeach,visitingcoastalcitiesinvolvesnewrelationshipsanddailyroutinesthatdifferfromurbanbehaviors:sharingapart-ments,goingouteverynight,takingmoredrugs,etc.Idonotmeantosuggestthesepracticesareabsentduringtherestoftheyear,buttheytendtointensifyduringbeachseason.Inturn,itisthematerialitythatcreateswaysofmoving,circulating,presentingoneself,andesta-blishingaspecialrelationshipbetweenworkandleisure(forvendorsandthosevacationingonthebeach).Vendorsarenotpresentallyearinthesameway.Thisresultsindifferentexperiencesforotheractors.Insummer,theyareconfiguredascentralactorsandarepartofthebeachenvi-ronment.Forthistohappen,thereisanessentialroleforsellerstobeabletosell.Ambulantven-dorsareacentralpartofthematerialityexperience.11TheArgentineBeachasWorkspaceformtemporalityTheethnographicperspectiveallowstheunderstandingthattheexperienceoftheBeachisconstitutiveoftheBeachitself.Whilemanystudiesfocusonlegislation,geography,orthe“en-vironment,”aperspectivefromspaceandsocialrelationshipsallowsustorethinktheBeachasaphysical,symbolic,imagined,andcontestedanddisputedspace.ThatiswhytheBeach,Isaid,hasathatcannotbethoughtofexcepttowhat“everydaylife”is.Thebeachisconstructedconcerningwhathappensduringtheseasonandoutsideofit.Beachesarepracticesthatoccuronthebeachandfarawayfromit.TheBeachconstitutesmultipleimagi-naryconstructions.andaAnethnographicapproachtosocialprocessesenablesacriticalunderstandingofthebeach,un-settlingitsnaturalizationasmerelyaphysicalspace.Furthermore,itenablesustounderstandwhattheBeachis.Thebeachisnotasingle,fixedspace,andthereisnoonewaytoinhabitor“grab”ittomakeali-ving.Thecoexistenceofdifferentcircuitsofcommerceandmaterialarrangements—drivenbytherelationshipbetweenBeachTimeandtheOff-Season—illustrateshowthebeach(notjustthesaleonthebeach)isconfiguredinacomplexandsituationalway.Weoftenthinkofthebeachmainly3.duringthehighseason,whenitbecomesaspaceofworkandcommerce,asSartorepointsoutHowever,examiningthelivesofbeachvendorsshowsthatBeachTimeonlymakessensewhenviewedinrelationtotheOff-Season,dailylife,andespeciallythemomentsandpracticesconnec-tingthesetwoperiods.Beacheschangenotonlythroughcoastalerosionorshiftingdunesbutalsothroughtheflowsofpeopleandtheirevolvingmaterialandspatialrelationshipswiththecity.TheBeach,likeanyspace,isaphysicalandsocialconstruction.TheBeachismadeofsand,sea,wind,andanimals.Butitisalsomadeofpeople,times,anddiscoursesthatvary.Likeotherpublicplaces,itimpliespublicwaysofbeing.Thesearesociallyconstructedwaysofbehaving,walking,recognizing,andbeingrecognized.Thisoccursinthedailyinteractionsoffleshandblood,ofpe-oplewhostruggletoimposeformsoflifebasedonquestioningandacceptingbehaviors.Likeallpublicspaces,beachesarespacesofpower.Socialgroups(andtheirpractices)havedifferentca-pacitiestoimposeandusetheBeach.ReferencesLeyn°.24.922,de9dediciembrede1997.AprobacióndelNuevoRegimenFederaldePescaARGENTINA.RegimenFederaldePesca.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/45000-49999/48357/norma.htm.Accessedon:January2024.Introducción.Unaespeciedeneorrealismojurídico.In.PublishedonBoletínOficial,[BuenosAires],n.28.812,p.2,1998.Availableon:https://servicios.:Laciudadysusreglas:sobrelaAZUELA,Antonio(org.).huelladelderechoenelordenurbano.Primeraedición.Ed.México:UniversidadNacionalAutónomadeMéxico,Insti-tutodeInvestigacionesSociales:ProcuraduríaAmbientalydelOrdenamientoTerritorialdelaCiudaddeMéxico,2016.ActesdelarechercheensciencessocialesBIDET,Jennifer;DEVIENNE,Elsa.Beachesofcontention.4–9,2017.TempodeBrasília:,v.218,n.3,p.BORGES,Antonádia.NúcleodeAntropologiadaPolítica,2003.194p.RevistadelMuseodeAntropologíaetnografandolugares-eventosdapolítica.RiodeJaneiro:RelumeDumará:DEABRANTES,Lucía.Estacionalidadturísticaypaisajecostero.Unaetnografíaespaciotemporaldelaciudadbalnearia,v.17,n.2,p.187–202,2024.Availableon:https://revistas.unc.edu.deVillaGesell.ar/index.php/antropologia/article/view/43063/46433.Accessedon:August2025.3Inpersonalcommunication12MarianoPerelman-EnAntropologíayCienciasSociales,DEABRANTES,Lucía.Trabajoyviviendaenlatrampadelaestacionalidadturística.ElcasodeVillaGesell.PUBLICAR-index.php/revista/article/view/513/408.Accessedon:August2025.Charredlullabies:n.37,136–160,2024a.Availableon:https://publicar.cgantropologia.org.ar/DANIEL,E.Valentine.sityPress,1996.272p.Pegandoumacornapraia:chaptersinananthropographyofviolence.Princeton,N.J:PrincetonUniver-FARIAS,PatríciaSilveirade.Inneiro.RiodeJaneiro:PrefeituradacidadedoRiodeJaneiro,2006.230p.Crime,PolicíaejustiçanoBrasilHIRATAVELOSO,Daniel.Ileglismos.RATTON,JosñeLuiz;DELIMA,RenatoSergio;GHIRINGHELLI,Rodrigo(comps.)..SãoPaulo:Contexto,2014.P.97-104.InBeachpolitics:social,racial,andenvironmentalinjusticeontheshorelinePERELMAN,MarianoD.BeachTime:ThePoliticsandMoralOrderofArgentina’sUrbanBeaches.:LOW,Setha(ed.)..NewYork:NewYorkUniversityPress,relaçõesraciaiseclassificaçãodecornacidadedoRiodeJa-2025.p.82–96.FilhosdoSinal:LOUROFERREIRA,Alejandro.umaanáliseetnográficacomvendedoresambulantesdossemáforosnoRiodeJaneiro.2024.Dissertação(MestradoemSociologiaeDireito)–ProgramadePós-GraduaçãoemSociologiaeDireito,UniversidadeFederalFluminense(UFF).Niterói,2024.104p.Lugaresdediabl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