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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

Maria Dodaro and Lavinia Bifulco

The purpose of this paper is to explore two financial inclusion measures adopted within the local welfare context of the city of Milan, Italy, examining their functioning and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore two financial inclusion measures adopted within the local welfare context of the city of Milan, Italy, examining their functioning and underpinning representations. The aim is also to understand how such representations take concrete shape in the practices of local actors, and their implications for the opportunities and constraints regarding individuals' effective inclusion. To this end, this paper takes a wide-ranging look at the interplay between the rise of financial inclusion and the individualisation and responsibilisation models informing welfare policies, within the broader context of financialisation processes overall.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the sociology of public action approach and provides a qualitative analysis of two case studies, a social microcredit service and a financial education programme, based on direct observation and semi-structured interviews conducted with key policy actors.

Findings

This paper sheds light on the rationale behind two financial inclusion services and illustrates how the instruments involved incorporate and tend to reproduce, individualising logics that reduce the problem of financial exclusion, and the social and economic vulnerability which underlies it, to a matter of personal responsibility, thus fuelling depoliticising tendencies in public action. It also discusses the contradictions underlying financial inclusion instruments, showing how local actors negotiate views and strategies on the problems to be addressed.

Originality/value

The paper makes an original contribution to the field of sociology and social policy by focusing on two under-researched instruments of financial inclusion and improving understanding of the finance-welfare state nexus and of the contradictions underpinning attempts at financial inclusion of the most vulnerable.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 44 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 January 2024

Ana Argento Nasser

This article aims to provide a new paradigm for thinking about disability, which can be applied to other social groups, historically invisible and whose rights have been violated…

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to provide a new paradigm for thinking about disability, which can be applied to other social groups, historically invisible and whose rights have been violated. The Model of Communication and Legitimate Acknowledgement of Disability (MCLAD) tries to break with the logic of continuing to add terms and euphemisms around the issue. The author proposes a new line to think about relationships in democratic societies. Taking the step from inclusion to acknowledgment does not imply another way of naming the disability, but rather addressing the problem from concrete practices of recognition. In order to arrive at the proposal of the MCLAD, the author will make a journey that addresses how disability has been understood throughout history, according to the study of different authors.

Design/methodology/approach

Disability has been perceived over time in many different ways, which led some authors to build models in order to explain certain social approaches to the subject. This article traces a journey from the first model to the present. In turn, it proposes a new one: the MCLAD, which is characterized by a paradigm shift: moving from inclusion to acknowledgment. To substantiate this, three categories are presented: acknowledgment, distance and vulnerability. The different theories and concepts that support the model will also be presented. The purpose of the MCLAD is to deepen the idea of empowering people with disabilities as part of today’s diverse societies and closing historically constructed gaps which are still in force.

Findings

The MCLAD proposes three categories: acknowledgment, distance and vulnerability. In turn, in each of them, there is a link between three axes: person with disability/society/state, analyzing the dynamics of these relationships presented, will provide us with the necessary elements to understand the proposed turnaround.

Research limitations/implications

Although the different models will be presented according to the chronological order of definition over time, all of them still coexist today, in many cases in hybrid and naturalized ways in social practices. Recognizing what practices and conceptions are behind each model, allows us to recognize and resignify the ways of communicating toward people with disabilities (PWD) and on the issue of disability. It also allows other specific recognition practices, such as the legitimization of public policies from the laws that protect them.

Practical implications

To replace the paradigm of inclusion for that of acknowledgment and to recognize how the three categories (acknowledgment, distance and vulnerability) are linked with the three issues (PWD – society and state) allowing specific relationship and practises of legitimate or not acknowledgement. When the author affirms that the MCLAD implies a paradigm shift, the author means that it provides some elements from legitimate acknowledgment to complement aspects which inclusion does not address, and that the other models did not take into account. These are: the self-acknowledgment of people with disabilities and the sense of responsibility linked to empowerment; vulnerability as a category of reconciliation, which is typical of every human being; the contribution of the Phenomenology of the Among to think about how relationships and practices actually occur in society and, finally, the role of the state, which must watch over all its citizens, avoiding the distance between discourse (laws) and practices and, above all, avoiding exclusion from the system due to lack of monitoring of actions.

Social implications

It should be noted that the MCLAD starts from the idea of language as a constructor of realities and conceives communication as an enabler of the acknowledgment of the other, who is also subject to rights. At the same time, it vindicates the voice of people with disabilities as protagonists (“Nothing about us without us”) and fosters the need for PWD themselves to be active in their struggles, promulgating legitimate acknowledgment. At the same time, it points out that the empowerment of PWD implies not only that they are aware of their rights but also that they themselves know and fulfill their duties within the democratic societies of which they are a part of and which, at least discursively, are regulated by laws. In other words, being empowered is also being responsible for living in society.

Originality/value

The main contribution that the MCLAD has to offer is to replace the paradigm of inclusion for that of acknowledgment. And, throughout the path followed in this article, an attempt has been made to establish that the turnaround is not to capriciously install a new concept (acknowledgment), but to demonstrate that the new paradigm involves three categories that sustain and support a model that seeks to be the basis for effective public policies, for a society that values diversity and for people who feel worthy and contribute to dignify others.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2023

Masah Alomari and Ibrahim Aladi

Financial inclusion is considered one of the strategic tools for sustainable development and one of the types of corporate social responsibility disclosures. This study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Financial inclusion is considered one of the strategic tools for sustainable development and one of the types of corporate social responsibility disclosures. This study aims to focus on the association between the disclosure of financial inclusion activities and Syrian banking companies’ performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Different regression models were suggested to examine the hypotheses leading to a better understanding of the relationship between financial inclusion and Syrian banking performance for the period 2005 to 2020 using the STATA 17.

Findings

The results showed a positive association between financial inclusion disclosure and Syrian bank performance, with low participation in financial inclusion activities (8%).

Research limitations/implications

The study recommends that the Central Bank of Syria work on developing an index of financial inclusion for the Syrian environment, with the issuance of legislation and laws that obligate all listed banks to disclose their financial inclusion activities as a part of their social responsibility.

Originality/value

This study incorporates the relationship between the disclosure of financial inclusion activities and the performance of Syrian banking companies, which has been neglected by most studies on financial inclusion. Therefore, this study sheds light on this positive relationship, which could have important repercussions in reviving the deteriorating Syrian economy following the crisis it went through, which, in turn, led to Syria’s high inflation affecting the poor and vulnerable disproportionately.

Details

Journal of Financial Economic Policy, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-6385

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2023

Loi Anh Nguyen, Rebecca Evan, Sanghamitra Chaudhuri, Marcia Hagen and Denise Williams

Organizations increasingly use inclusion initiatives to reflect a meaningful involvement of their entire workforce as part of their larger diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI…

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Abstract

Purpose

Organizations increasingly use inclusion initiatives to reflect a meaningful involvement of their entire workforce as part of their larger diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies. However, the conceptualization of inclusion and its impact on larger DEI efforts and the organization remains unclear, coupled with the organizations’ struggles to find ways to embrace and advance inclusion. Hence, the purpose of this study is to synthesize ways of inclusion conceptualizations and review empirical evidence related to inclusion.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a literature review using the method of scoping review coupled with topical cluster mapping techniques.

Findings

The authors captured three ways of inclusion conceptualizations and provided an overview of topic clusters related to inclusion and its measurement tools. The authors also proposed a path model of inclusion based on emerging empirical evidence related to inclusion in the workplace.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the pioneering efforts to provide a much-needed review of inclusion in the workplace, which provides guidance for further research and practice to fulfill the goal of inclusion for all in the current workplace.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 48 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Abstract

Details

International Trade and Inclusive Economic Growth
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-471-5

Book part
Publication date: 23 April 2024

Hernan Ramirez-Asis, Jorge Castillo-Picon, Jenny Villacorta Miranda, José Rodríguez Herrera and Walter Medrano Acuña

Financial inclusion in Peru has been addressed through coverage, quality of financial services, movement of transactions, and service points. The purpose of this chapter is to…

Abstract

Financial inclusion in Peru has been addressed through coverage, quality of financial services, movement of transactions, and service points. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate for the department of Ancash, Peru, the link between financial inclusion and its socioeconomic factors. Socioeconomic variables and financial inclusion of the Ancash department of the National Household Survey are taken as indicators, later contrasted through the logit model, with the financial inclusion variable being the explained variable.

There is evidence of positive and negative relationships between financial inclusion and socioeconomic variables; these are important components for planning financial inclusion. Raising the levels of formal employment, the educational level and considering the area of residence would be a strategy to generate a dynamic of inclusion in the department of Ancash.

Details

Technological Innovations for Business, Education and Sustainability
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-106-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Maria Cristina Zaccone and Matteo Pedrini

Although the topic of inclusion has become a hot and unavoidable issue for organizations, research on how this topic is being addressed in companies is still almost nonexistent…

Abstract

Purpose

Although the topic of inclusion has become a hot and unavoidable issue for organizations, research on how this topic is being addressed in companies is still almost nonexistent. How do HR managers promote workplace inclusion? The objective of this study is to answer this research question.

Design/methodology/approach

The results are based on evidence that emerged during in-depth interviews conducted with 16 human resources professionals from the world of large-scale retail trade, as well as from the analysis of documents and reports produced by the companies in which the interviewed professionals work.

Findings

The findings reveal that the promotion of corporate inclusion is not only aimed at satisfying the need for belongingness and uniqueness. It is also aimed at satisfying two other types of human needs, namely, the human need to share and the human need to be impactful. In addition, the results reveal that HR professionals promote workplace inclusion through six initiatives that can be traced to two main ways in which inclusion is conceived.

Originality/value

Even though there is an extensive number of studies aimed at defining and measuring the construct of workplace inclusion, progress has not been made in understanding how HR professionals promote inclusion. This study covers this literature gap by bringing to light the existence of two main meanings associated by HR professionals to workplace inclusion: extensive inclusiveness and narrow inclusiveness.

Details

Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2024

Farsha Farahana Ahmad Izhan, Aidi Ahmi, Nor Azairiah Fatimah Othman and Muhammad Majid

This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of social exclusion research, examining its evolution and identifying emerging trends and influential…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of social exclusion research, examining its evolution and identifying emerging trends and influential contributions in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

Using bibliometric and thematic analysis of 3,041 Scopus database documents, the study uses tools like VOSviewer for network analysis and Biblioshiny for trend analysis, focusing on publication patterns, author contributions and thematic clusters.

Findings

The findings reveal significant growth in social exclusion research since 1979, highlighting key contributions from diverse academic fields. Notable trends include the rise of digital exclusion and environmental justice themes. The study identifies leading authors, institutions and countries contributing to this field, along with highly cited documents that have shaped the discourse on social exclusion.

Research limitations/implications

The study acknowledges its reliance on Scopus data and suggests incorporating other databases for future research. It highlights the need to explore emerging topics and address literature gaps.

Originality/value

This paper presents a unique bibliometric perspective on social exclusion research, underscoring its interdisciplinary nature and evolving focus. The study’s comprehensive approach offers valuable insights into the field’s trajectory, contributing to a deeper understanding of social exclusion phenomena.

Details

Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-8308

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 April 2024

João Jungo

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between institutions and economic growth in developing countries, considering the role of financial inclusion, education spending…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between institutions and economic growth in developing countries, considering the role of financial inclusion, education spending and military spending.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs dynamic panel analysis, specifically two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM), on a sample of 61 developing countries over the period 2009–2020.

Findings

The results confirm that weak institutional quality, weak financial inclusion and increased military spending are barriers to economic growth, conversely, increased spending on education and gross capital formation contribute to economic growth in developing countries. Regarding the specific institutional factor, we find that corruption, ineffective government, voice and accountability and weak rule of law contribute negatively to growth.

Practical implications

The study calls for strengthening institutions so that the financial system supports economic growth and suggests increasing spending on education to improve access to and the quality of human capital, which is an important determinant of economic growth.

Originality/value

The study contributes to scarce literature by empirically analyzing the relationship between institutions and economic growth by considering the role of financial inclusion, public spending on education and military spending, factors that have been ignored in previous studies. In addition, the study identifies the institutional dimension that contributes to reduced economic growth in developing countries.

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2356-9980

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Sarah C. Urbanc and Lucinda Dollman

What does special education mean for general education teachers of students with disabilities? In this chapter, we share our approach to advancing values in the classroom…

Abstract

What does special education mean for general education teachers of students with disabilities? In this chapter, we share our approach to advancing values in the classroom placement of special education students in the general education setting. We will take the reader on a journey through time with “Jessie,” a special education student, as we examine the historical exclusion of students with disabilities to their inclusion in general education schools, environments and finally, general education classrooms. In doing so, we will examine the evolution of the general education teacher's role and how the historical perspective impacts current practices. Then, we will elucidate the benefits of inclusion, not only for the special education student but for the nondisabled peers as well. We will recommend values that should be maintained and practices that should be examined. This chapter will conclude with a connection between the values and recommendations of best practices for inclusive instruction.

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