ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with criminal enterprise focus by describing how criminal social and cultural capital, in the form of attitudes, skills, networks and ways of thinking is necessary for long-term viability in criminal enterprise. The criminal activities and/or lifestyles of many thieves and illegal entrepreneurs require a lot of inventiveness and ingenuity. Even though many criminals may not need specialized craftsmanship, they do need a lot of practical knowledge about things, language, and people: how to break into a house or store, how to gauge the value of what they steal, how to acquire information about would-be associates or the police, how to handle people, how to judge potential buyers. For many thieves and illegal entrepreneurs, practical knowledge is anchored in a heavy dosage of street smarts. A successful criminal enterprise of more than minimal size or longevity is simply not possible without making and maintaining contacts.
