The present essay – an introduction to the special issue of ERQ on «Informal economies: oppressions, negotiations, resistances» – explores nature and meanings of «informal economy» in the societal organization. In particular, it provides a critical perspective aimed at rejecting merely institutional and legalistic definitions of this phenomenon. The author suggests that the study of informality should include the State, its elites and regulations among the actors and the elements to be put under scrutiny. Informal economy, thus, is seen as the outcome of a complex interplay among official and unofficial worlds. Far from being just a legal problem, and depending on the circumstances, informality is a «space of contradictions» within which oppression, discretion, resistance, liberation, and the reproduction of social relations constantly take place.
Informali. Stato, élite e marginali alle prese con l’irregolarità: un’introduzione critica
SAITTA, Pietro
2013-01-01
Abstract
The present essay – an introduction to the special issue of ERQ on «Informal economies: oppressions, negotiations, resistances» – explores nature and meanings of «informal economy» in the societal organization. In particular, it provides a critical perspective aimed at rejecting merely institutional and legalistic definitions of this phenomenon. The author suggests that the study of informality should include the State, its elites and regulations among the actors and the elements to be put under scrutiny. Informal economy, thus, is seen as the outcome of a complex interplay among official and unofficial worlds. Far from being just a legal problem, and depending on the circumstances, informality is a «space of contradictions» within which oppression, discretion, resistance, liberation, and the reproduction of social relations constantly take place.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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