Poor People’s Movements

The Political Economy of Informal Economies

Author(s): Stuart Henry

 


This article considers the mutual interrelationship between informal economies and the wider political economy of capitalism. Four dimensions are discussed: (1) the generation of informal economies as a paradoxical outcome of distinguishing them from capitalism; (2) the support given by capitalism and reciprocated by informal economies that enables each to gain strength from their similarities; (3) the opposition to informal economies that is reflected back on the wider economy; and (4) the destruction capitalism inflicts as it attempts to colonize and co-opt informal economies and the simultaneous transformation of capitalism that occurs with their absorption into the wider structure. The article argues that as a result of these complex interrelations, the development of, and intervention in, informal economies is neither simple nor linear. Failure to take these relations into account can lead to policy and its implementation that produce many unforeseen outcomes.

 

Ovaj članak razmatra međusobne odnose neformalnih ekonomija i šire političke ekonomije kapitalizma. Razmatraju se četiri dimenzije: (1) stvaranje neformalnih ekonomija kao paradoksalni ishod njihovog razlikovanja od kapitalizma; (2) podrška koju daje kapitalizam i uzvraćaju mu neformalne ekonomije čime im omogućava da steknu snagu na osnovu svojih sličnosti; (3) protivljenje neformalnim ekonomijama koje se odražava na širu ekonomiju; i (4) uništenje koje kapitalizam nanosi dok pokušava da kolonizuje i kooptira neformalne ekonomije i istovremenu transformaciju kapitalizma koja se dešava njihovom apsorpcijom u širu strukturu. U članku se tvrdi da kao rezultat ovih složenih međusobnih odnosa razvoj i intervencija u neformalnim ekonomijama nije ni jednostavan ni linearan. Neuspeh da se ti odnosi uzmu u obzir može dovesti do politike i njene primene koja proizvodi mnoge nepredviđene ishode.

 

Key words: Authors/ Stuart Henry, Language/ English, political economy, Capitalism, informal economies

 

Ključne reči: Autori / Stuart Henry, Jezik / Engleski, politička ekonomija, kapitalizam, neformalne ekonomije

 

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