Session Information
SES D 09, Paper Session
Paper Session
Contribution
The financial crisis is the context of the research and some opportunities are likely to be a direct answer for its local and/or global dimensions. During the crisis people are more eager to think about the whole structure of the society not only about making institutions better. Special focus will be given to the problem of the personal over-indebtedness, because it directly influences people's quality of life and their motivations to learn about the finance. Indebtedness requires from individuals thinking in global terms, especially if some of their loans are calculated in foreign currency. Credit, the basic reason for debts, allows to cross many boundaries [gives money] and, at the same time, requires extreme discipline and knowledge about possible future complications.
Financial situation has impact on not only social but also geographical mobility of people. Thus, results of adult learning about financial issues may affect both social and cultural changes in societies. What's more, there is a growing number of people, who got debts without taking any loans before (e.g. by guaranteeing loans of relatives), which is called “Sexually Transmitted Debt” (Kaye, 1997). Since paying back the debts is a deep, cultural obligation, over-indebtedness is often followed by social stigmatisation. Simultaneously, the neo-liberal governments promote personal indebtedness by providing subsidised loans for young people (debt for degree phenomenon). Indebtedness can be used as a sociological category along with class, gender and age, because it determines results of many processes and individual choices. Thus, critical approaches towards financial education should be promptly developed.
Life-long learning centres, upper-secondary schools, social help institutions as well as social movements and banks themselves have already started initiatives of financial education related to debts. The goal of the research is to describe opportunities for adults in Iceland regarding financial education, both non-formal and informal education. In particular the research will focus on the difference between learning opportunities provided by banks, social movements, adult learning centres and counseling services. The content of the courses and other materials are going to be analysed. It will help to identify: target groups for the knowledge providers, hidden curricula, i.e., presumptions behind the given knowledge, projected outcomes of the educational efforts, together with gaps and overlaps of the financial knowledge given by different actors.
After finishing the study on Iceland (June, 2010) I am going to stay for a year in Poland and compare the financial education in both countries. The initial observations of the Polish situation were taken in 2008-2009. It seems that there are differences between the two countries, one of the reasons is that Poland has been less affected by the current financial crisis and the subsequent appearance of social movements.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
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