This class is aimed at understanding the dimensions of the urban informal economy and its relation to crime and the criminal justice system. The growth of the informal economy will be linked to the process of globalization and the transformation of the world economy into the information era.

There are four required books for this course: Portes et al, The Informal Economy. Saskia Sassenís Cities in a World Economy, Felix Padillaís The Gangs as an American Enterprise, and Mollenkopf and Castellsís Dual City. These and other books are on reserve at the library. Consult the instructorís web site (www.uic.edu~huk) for reserve lists and up to date syllabus corrections.

The class will consist of instructor and guest lectures. Each student will be required to present portions of the required books. All material must be read by each student. A fifteen page paper is required in academic format. This paper will combine the knoweldge gained in the readings, with other readings in a specialized area (prostitution, off-the books hair-styling or construction, drug dealing, etc). The student is also required to ground her or his analysis in an interview or field work with actual informal workers, and/or with researchers or agency workers with direct knowledge of the informal work.

Grades are based on 1/ adequacy of presentation of required material; 2/ extent and intelligence of questions asked during discussions; 3/ quality of the paper. There will be no final exam.

The final session will be a relaxed celebration of the completion of the class,  held at an a still to be determined location. This celebratin will be combined with a discussion of how to create an on-going graduate seminar in urban crime that could assist students in their dissertations and theses as well as advance understanding of crime and the informal economy in Chicago today. David Perry of the Great Cities Institute and Matthew Lippman of Criminal Justice will join us.
 

Mon August 23
Introduction to the Course. The context of the informal economy in the information era. Discussion of paper topics.
Mon August 30
Discussion of Betty Lou Valentineís Hustling and Other Hard Work and Hernano de Sotoís The Other Path.
Mon Sept.  6
Labor Day. No class.
Mon:  Sept 13
Dual City. Selections to be assigned.
Mon: Sept 20
The Gang as an American Enterprise.
Mon Sept 27
The Informal Economy. Selections to be assigned.