Call for Papers: Inclusive or Exclusive Global Development? Scrutinizing ‘Financial Inclusion’

Microfinance and then financial inclusion have become buzzwords in international development. Such initiatives have mobilised and generated large amounts of development funding, despite substantial amount of critique. Such critiques call for a more impartial assessment of the effectiveness of financial inclusion on the grounds that funds for microfinance, they argue, displaced development spendings on healthcare, education or infrastructure. In addition, the focus on expansion of financial markets to ‘bank’ and financially ‘include’ the poor may divert attention from more comprehensive and effective poverty reduction strategies. Critiques of this ‘way of doing development’ are often sidelined and labelled as ‘extreme’, ‘sloppy’ or ideology-driven rather than evidence-based. We believe that there is a need for contemporary development scholars and policy-makers from all disciplines to engage in those debates. This half-day workshop would bring in such scholars to discuss what we have learned from a decade of research on the microfinance, and how financial inclusion and the emergence of fintech may offer new opportunities - as well as risks - for inclusive global development.

Note that the following Roundtable discussion, chaired by Kate Pickett, will go beyond discussing cases of micro-finance or financial inclusion in low- or middle-income countries, to discuss the role of finance for in/exclusive development globally. Consequently, submissions exploring the inclusiveness of finance anywhere in the world are welcome. The round-table workshop will take place on Wednesday 21 November 2018, 11.30am to 5.00pm in Derwent College D/L/002. Further details about how to book your place at the event can be found here.

We welcome papers focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes and topics:

Theme 1: Unpacking digital utopianism and financial inclusion as development tools

• What is ‘financial inclusion’? How can or cannot financial inclusion serve inclusive development?
• How does financial inclusion differ from micro-finance?
• Digital utopianism, fintech, mobile money, and ‘banking’ the poor: Opportunities, trends, risks

Theme 2: Political Economy and Macroeconomic Implications of Financial Inclusion

• The role of micro-finance in financialization
• Micro-credit, instability, systemic failure, crises
• What is the connection between microfinance, entrepreneurs, and industrialization?

Theme 3: Alternatives to Financial Inclusion

• What are the alternatives to what is known as financial inclusion?
• The role of community banks and development banks in fostering ‘financial inclusion’
• Alternative theories of inclusive finance and alternative development models

The sessions will be chaired by one early career researcher coupled with one of the senior roundtable discussants who will offer reflections on the papers and conclude the session. See full CfP here.

Deadline: October 1st. Submissions should be no more than 700 words and sent to development@youngscholarsinitiative.org with the subject line “Scrutinizing Financial Inclusion Submission”. Travel grants are available for accepted applicants.