Indebtedness and Social Exclusion

Objectives

Lack of opportunities for credit is well recognised as a form of social exclusion and the last two and a half decades has received significant attention for financial inclusion of the poor. However, these ‘credit plus’ programmes have failed to address the link between credit, debt and overindebtedness of households which in fact is an important feature of the current financial crisis. Commissions, studies and statistics have steadily accumulated on the subject, but household over-indebtedness in so-called developing countries has attracted surprisingly little attention. It is nonetheless likely that the economies of the South have just the same difficulties, as they face three major problems which have underpinned household over-indebtedness in developed countries. These are firstly a slowdown in economic growth, secondly an absence of wealth redistribution accompanied by rising inequality, and thirdly the increased desire to consume by way of imitation, both amongst the middle classes and the poor.

Although a critical issue, this state of affairs has not yet been subject to theoretical or empirical analysis by academics, donor agencies and policy makers. Given this lacuna the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSE&IP) at Pondicherry University and the Rural Employment and Microfinance Programme (RUME) at French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) have collaborated to jointly organise this international workshop. The main purpose of this interdisciplinary workshop will be a theoretical and empirical examination of over-indebtedness from the perspective of southern countries, with the following underlying hypothesis : to define and analyze the process of indebtedness requires first an understanding of the complexity and diversity of debt relationships.

Questions to be addressed at the Workshop

Focusing on our hypothesis, ‘to define and analyze the process of indebtedness requires first an understanding of the complexity and diversity of debt relationships’, we propose to explore the following key questions :

1. The social meaning of debt, creditworthiness and over-indebtedness 2. Financial ‘markets’ and financial providers 3. Local Financial culture 4. Impoverishment and accumulation 5. Over-indebtedness

We request Researchers already exploring these questions in their research to come forward to participate in this workshop. For both logistic and research reasons we will much appreciate if you can send us a 500 word abstract of your paper by 10th of November 2009 to thanuja.m@ifpindia.org or/and isabelle.guerin48@wanadoo.fr.

Programme

Please see the detailed programme schedule.

Organizers

• Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Pondicherry University
• Rural Microfinance and Employment Programme, French Institute of Pondicherry

Organising Committee
Chief Patron
Prof. J.A.K. Tareen
Vice-Chancellor,
Pondicherry University

Patrons
Dr. A. Balasubramanian
Director (C & CR)
Pondicherry University

Prof. Velayoudom Marimoutou
Director
French Institute of Pondicherry

Shri. S. Loganathan
Registrar
Pondicherry University

Convenors
Prof. T.S. Naidu
Director (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Dr. Eric Denis
Head (Dept. of SS)
French Institute of Pondicherry

Workshop Directors
Dr. Thanuja Mummidi
Asst. Prof. (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Dr. Isabelle Guerin
Programme Head (RUME)
French Institute of Pondicherry

Organising Committee Members
Dr. E. Krishna Rao
Asst. Prof. (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Mr. A. Chidambaram
Asst. Prof. (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Dr. G. Palanisamy
Research Associate (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Dr. V. Laxminarayan Dash
Research Associate (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Dr. K. Sasicoumar Brumot
Research Assistant (CSSE & IP)
Pondicherry University

Funding

• Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Pondicherry University
• Rural Microfinance and Employment Programme, French Institute of Pondicherry

Travel and Accomodation

Selected participants will be informed through email by 15th November 2009. We will be able to provide reimbursement for travel and arrange accommodation to these participants and will intimate this by email.

Venue

Seminar Hall, Convention-cum-Cultural Centre, Pondicherry University.