Companies and Organizations

   CONTENTS  

The economy and social inclusion

An analysis of the economic practices and institutions from the perspective of the Social Sciences, including agents, markets, financial systems, and consumption, is a component of the research subject of the Research Group on Companies and Organizations (GEEO). This research project, addressing policies for financial inclusion and education, represents an accurate example of that type of approach.

Within the last decade, measures aimed at the distribution of income, stimulation of consumption, and actions to promote the diffusion of bank services and credit supply were implemented by the Brazilian government in synchrony with the World Bank, which considers the degree of financial inclusion to be an index of social inclusion and development. How do these measures affect the lives of people? What are the repercussions of the “market-based” inclusion model?

In addition to answering these questions, the positive and negative points of this novel reality are investigated. Although that process does not affect some groups, definite segments of the population are becoming increasingly indebted. To control this situation, governmental agencies and private institutions promote initiatives that focus on financial education. Further topics of investigation include shifts in the patterns of consumption and the effects of the financialization of daily life on social groups distinguished as a function of gender, age, and income.

Finally, the research aims to widen the understanding of the processes underlying the reproduction of social inequalities and cultural homogenization associated with the development of democratic societies.

GEEO, chaired by Professor Lúcia Helena Alves Müller, also conducts research on subjects related to the universe of companies, solidary economics, markets, and the use and meaning of money. Partnerships with the National Museum (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), the National University of San Martín (Argentina), and the Center of Investigation and Higher Studies on Social Anthropology (Mexico) enrich the group’s work.