The myth of the credit for the poor: the myth-credit. Analysis of the production of a ‘new’ way to eradicate poverty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v4.n1.5483Keywords:
microcredit, poverty, mith, hegemony, Grameen BankAbstract
The objective of this article is to analyze how a specific type of microcredits, those inspired in the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, were internationally legitimized as a ‘vanguard’ in the fight against poverty. The Grameen microcredits are considered as a vehicle for the “economic progress” of the poor people, as well as a guarantee for their rights. In this article we analyze the circulation of stories about the origin of microcredits, as well as their worldwide expansion. Our starting point will be the consideration of these stories in terms of a “myth” as Leach (1976) understands this concept. We will also show that these stories present similar characteristics to those that Geertz (1994) attributes to the “common sense”, concluding that we are dealing with a conflictive process of production and imposition of meanings that result in the legitimation of microcredit as the “ultimate solution to poverty”.Downloads
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