Informal economics display a puzzling resilience. The problematique of this book concerns the lenses through which the concept of "informality" has been constituted, studied and acted upon as an empirical phenomenon. By developing a critical understanding of informality as object of study, the book uncovers the historical, scholarly and practitioner contexts in which contemporary understandings of informality are constructed.

The author argues that three dominant and conventional approaches to informality systematically fail to account for how the reasons behind people's participation in informal economic activities are constituted by an internal and hierarchically structured social order. To transcend the shortcomings of the established approaches, the book rethinks informality through a comprehensive power analysis and highlights the importance of hierarchies, social practices, covert violence and domintation.

Contents:

Part I. Introduction

Part II. A Conceptual Analysis of the Practice of Informality

Part III. Formulation of Research Avenues

part IV: Conclusion

References