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From the erosion of state legitimacy in Lebanon to the use of smartphones in Kyrgyzstan, from a Polish suburb to the music scene in Azerbaijan, this volume attempts to explain why, in a variety of world regions, a substantial number of people tend to ignore or act against state rules. We propose to look at informality beyond simplistic associations of the phenomenon with a single category such as "informal labour" or "corruption". By doing this, we propose to look for a correlation between the emergence, and persistence, of some informal practices and the quality of governance in a given area. We also suggest that a better understanding of the variety of informal practices present in a region can help conceptualising more adequate interventions and eventually improve the socio-economic conditions of its inhabitants.  

Informality, Labour Mobility and Precariousness: Supplementing the State for the Invisible and the Vulnerable

Part I. Introduction. - Chapter 1. The (im)moralities of informality: states, their citizens and conflicting moral orders (Abel Polese). - Part II. Coming. - Chapter 2. (Im)mobilities and Informality as Livelihood Strategies in Transnational Social Fields (Ignacio Fradejas-García, José Molina and Miranda Lubbers). - Chapter 3. Restaurant Backyards, Food Stores, and Temples. Invisibility, informal labour Practices, and Migrant Networks in the Suburbs of Warsaw (Karolina Bielenin-Lenczowska and Helena Patzer). - Chapter 4. Informal Networks Among Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Case of Croatia (Ruzica Simic Banovic, Vlatka Skokic, Mirela Alpeza). - Chapter 5. "Performance of Illegality" towards migrants living with HIV in Russia: from Social Exclusion to Deportation (Daniel Kashinitsky). - Part III. Staying. - Chapter 5. Institutions and the Informal Economy - Tax Morale of Small Businesses in Armenia and Georgia (Joanna Paquin). - Chapter 6. Left in the "Shadows": the Informal Moral Economy of the Russian Far East (Aimar Ventsel). - Chapter 7. Azerbaijani Meykhana: Cultural Policy and Local Actors' Agenda (Aneta Strzemzalska). - Chapter 8. Everyday forms of governance in Uzbekistan: the illegal, the immoral and the illegitimate (Abel Polese, Rustamjon Urinboyev, Mans Svensson, Laura Adams, Tanel Kerikmäe). - Part IV. Competing. - Chapter 9. Mixed Perceptions of State Responsibility among Informal Sector Participants (Anil Duman). - Chapter 10. State Collusion or Erosion During a Sovereign Debt Crisis: Market Dynamics Spawn Informal Practices in Lebanon (Joseph Helou). - Chapter 11. Perceived Pull and Push Factors of Healthcare Professionals Intention for Mobility: The Case Of Romania (Elena Druica and Rodica Ianole - Calin). - Chapter 12. E-nformality: Smartphones as a New Regulatory Space for Informal Exchange of Formal Resources (Aksana Ismailbekova and Gulzat Baialieva). - Chapter 13. Work, Subsistence and Distress of the Homeless in Moldova (Petru Negura)