The research contributes to the fields of economic sociology and Latin American studies by theorizing about these economies in urban contexts and generating valuable fieldwork data.
Particular attention is given to emerging social norms, forms of economic coordination, and the ways in which demand is structured in illegal markets.
In collaboration with colleagues from political science (SEPS-HSG) and international law (ILE-HSG), a project is currently underway examining how legal intermediation by social media platforms and fintech-based payment services facilitates illegal transactions in Latin America.
