Microfinance, Debt and Over-Indebtedness: Juggling with Money

337 Pages·2013·5.058 MB·English

by  Isabelle Guérin, Solène Morvant-Roux, Magdalena Villarreal

Microfinance, Debt and
Over- Indebtedness
Although microcredit programmes have long been considered efficient develop-
ment tools, many forms of debt-i nduced distress have emerged in their wake.
This has brought to light the problem of over- indebtedness, a topic that has been
previously underexplored in the literature.
This new book, from a group of leading scholars, explores the manifestations,
scale, and economic and social implications of household over-i ndebtedness in
areas conventionally considered as financially excluded. The book approaches
debt not only as a financial transaction, but also as a form of social bond, and
offers a socioeconomic analysis of over-i ndebtedness.
The volume puts forward a broad definition of over- indebtedness, highlight-
ing its situational and semantic complexity and diversity. It provides a close
analysis of local conceptions of debt and over- indebtedness, highlighting frame-
works of calculation and the constant renegotiation of their boundaries. On top
of this, it looks far beyond microcredit to examine all the financial practices that
individuals juggle. The volume argues that over- indebtedness has more to do
with social inequalities than financial illiteracy, and should therefore be under-
stood in the light of global trends of financialization. It also reveals the ambigu-
ity of “financial inclusion” policies, and in many respects questions the actions
of new credit providers.
This book will be valuable reading for students, researchers and policy
makers interested in microfinance and development issues.
Isabelle Guérin is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Research Develop-
ment/Paris I Sorbonne University (Research Unit “Development and Societies”),
Paris, and a Research Associate at the French Institute of Pondicherry and
CERMi.
Solène Morvant- Roux is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political
Economy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and Associate Researcher to the
Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi).
Magdalena Villarreal is Senior Researcher and Professor at the Centre for
Advanced Research and Postgraduate Studies in Social Anthropology, Mexico.
Routledge studies in development economics
1 Economic Development in the 7 The South African Economy
Middle East Macroeconomic prospects for the
Rodney Wilson medium term
Finn Tarp and Peter Brixen
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in Developing Countries 8 Public Sector Pay and
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Kanhaya L. Gupta and Edited by Lennart Petersson
Robert Lensink
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5 Liberalization in the Developing Development
World Liberalization and reform in
Institutional and economic changes sub- Saharan Africa
in Latin America, Africa and Asia Ernest Aryeetey and
Edited by Alex Machiko Nissanke
E. Fernández Jilberto and
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André Mommen
Globalization in the Modern
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Economic Growth Perspectives on the Third World
Theory and experiences from and transitional economies
developing countries Edited by Alex
Edited by Niels Hermes and E. Fernández Jilberto and
Robert Lensink André Mommen
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Policy, institutions and the future A guide to China, Cuba,
Steve Kayizzi-M ugerwa Mongolia, North Korea and
Vietnam at the turn of the
14 Recovery from Armed Conflict twenty- first century
in Developing Countries Ian Jeffries
Edited by Geoff Harris
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Development Developed Countries
The dynamics of micro and small Nadia Cuffaro
enterprises
Carl Liedholm and
24 From Crisis to Growth in Africa?
Donald C. Mead
Edited by Mats Lundal
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25 The Macroeconomics of
New agendas in a changing world
Monetary Union
Michelle Miller-A dams
An analysis of the CFA franc zone
David Fielding
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Twenty- First Century
26 Endogenous Development
Beyond the post- Washington
Networking, innovation,
consensus
institutions and cities
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Antonio Vasquez- Barquero
Costas Lapavitsas and
Jonathan Pincus
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Middle East and North Africa Edited by Alex
Privatization, performance and E. Fernández Jilberto and
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Edited by Merih Celasun
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Rohinton Medhora 29 Programme Aid and
Development
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Development Economics Howard White and Geske Dijkstra
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30 Competitiveness Strategy in
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Edited by Martín Puchet Anyul A manual for policy analysis
and Lionello F. Punzo Edited by Ganeshan Wignaraja
31 The African Manufacturing Firm 39 Information Technology and
An analysis based on firm surveys Development
in sub- Saharan Africa A new paradigm for delivering the
Dipak Mazumdar and internet to rural areas in
Ata Mazaheri developing countries
Jeffrey James
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Poverty in Asian Developing 40 The Economics of Palestine
Countries Economic policy and institutional
Edited by Kishor Sharma reform for a viable Palestine state
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The impact of good governance on 42 Rural Livelihoods and Poverty
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Eric Neumayer Edited by Frank Ellis and
H. Ade Freeman
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Mireille Razafindrakoto and Drawing on the experience of Asia
François Roubaud and Latin America
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36 Targeting Development Costas Lapavitsas
Critical perspectives on the
millennium development goals 44 The Political Economy of
Edited by Richard Black and Reform Failure
Howard White Edited by Mats Lundahl and
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37 Essays on Balance of Payments
Constrained Growth 45 Overcoming Inequality in Latin
Theory and evidence America
Edited by J.S.L. McCombie and Issues and challenges for the
A.P. Thirlwall twenty- first century
Edited by Ricardo Gottschalk and
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Communism
New entrepreneurial firms in 46 Trade, Growth and Inequality
transition economies in the Era of Globalization
Jan Winiecki, Vladimir Benacek Edited by Kishor Sharma and
and Mihaly Laki Oliver Morrissey
47 Microfinance 57 European Union Trade Politics
Perils and prospects and Development
Edited by Jude L. Fernando Everything but arms unravelled
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Policy Reform
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Good governance criteria in World
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Bank, US and Dutch development
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Wil Hout
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Enrique Ganuza, Samuel Morley, 60 Economic Development,
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Murali Patibandla
Development in the Era of
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Denis Goulet
Debt Relief
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Economic development,
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Donato Romano William Bartlett
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and Matias Vernengo Paul Mosley
66 The Chronically Poor in Rural 75 Latecomer Development
Bangladesh Innovation and knowledge for
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capabilities Banji Oyelaran-O yeyinka and
Pk. Md. Motiur Rahman, Padmashree Gehl Sampath
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76 Trade Relations between the EU
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and Africa
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A. Venkat Raman and
Agreement
James Warner Björkman
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Yasuyuki Sawada
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A Reader
David Hulme and Thankom Arun 78 Credit Cooperatives in India
Past, present and future
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Dirk- Jan Koch
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Tony Killick
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Channing Arndt and Finn Tarp
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New insights into an old debate
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Comparing Brazil and the United
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104 Microfinance, Debt and
100 Migration and Inequality Over- Indebtedness
Edited by Tanja Bastia Juggling with money
Edited by Isabelle Guérin,
101 Financing Regional Growth Solène Morvant-R oux and
and the Inter- American Magdalena Villarreal
Development Bank
The case of Argentina
Ernesto Vivares
Microfinance, Debt and
Over- Indebtedness
Juggling with money
Edited by Isabelle Guérin,
Solène Morvant- Roux and
Magdalena Villarreal