ABSTRACT
Debt collection organizes and is organized by visions of social reality which direct and account for all central activity. It is the interpretations which collectors bring to bear on their work that make it a systematic and coherent enterprise. In particular, those interpretations are structured by typifications of the defaulter. The feckless, professional and unfortunate debtors dominate most critical decision-making. Until now, I have not examined the origins and nature of these master typifications in any detail. It is clear that such an examination is necessary and, in this chapter, I shall offer a rudimentary explanation of how important perspectives on defaulters arise. I shall separately discuss the typifications maintained by legislators, by the public, by collectors and by authoritative outsiders.
