Fighting For a Healthy Global Economy

Notre Dame Professor Carolyn Nordstrom goes beyond textbooks to look for solutions to complex socioeconomic and ethical issues.

Things that make life livable like text books, cars and DVDs are moving around the world every day illegally. These illegal markets can have an adverse effect on our economy. They affect your salary, your retirement, and, even, the safety of your family.

Notre Dame Professor Carolyn Nordstrom, Department of Anthropology, is studying these illegal marketplaces. Along with the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, she and her students are trying to map out the routes these goods take. She says, “Why do I study this? Because our world is at risk, we are at risk. The 21st century is different. We are global. If we can’t map what’s taking place both legally and illegally, we can’t control it. If we can’t control it, we are facing some serious political and economic dangers.”