Financial literacy and financialization : an alternative approach to financial education

Resumen

There is an increasing debate about financial literacy in academia. Two straightforward approaches have evolved in the last decade. One is the conventional approach, associated with Business and Economic disciplines, supported by multilateral organizations and governments. The second one, a critical or alternative approach, emerged from social sciences such as anthropology, sociology, geography, and, most recently, education, as a response to the increasing relevance of financialization in everyday lives. This document connects financial literacy with studies about financialization and the tradition of the learning sciences. An important conclusion of this analysis is the possibilities that this combination opens regarding the study of how to design consequential learning interventions about financial literacy to empower individuals from vulnerable populations to reimagine their relationship with finance.