2006-2007 Emerging Scholars

Alex Harris

Professor Harris is studying the role of credit markets for low-income individuals and, in particular, the role of “fringe credit market” institutions that provide high interest loans to individuals who have limited access to conventional bank and credit card instruments. Using an innovative fieldwork design involving student interviewers, she will interview individuals using payday loan outlets in the Puget Sound region. This study will advance our knowledge about credit markets and poverty by providing one of the first systematic examinations of the characteristics of individuals who use payday lending services and the consequences of these short-term, high-interest loans for their ability to meet immediate financial demands and accumulate assets.

WCPC Funded Project:

Understanding the Role of Payday Loans in the Lives of Low-Income Workers, Alexes Harris, Assistant Professor of Sociology, "Payday Lending and Economic Inequality"

Contact Info:

Email: yharris@u.washington.edu
Homepage: http://www.soc.washington.edu/people/faculty_detail.asp?UID=yharris