ABSTRACT

Using the concept of problematization, this paper reveals the rationale for governing consumers in the practice of Swedish financial literacy education. Before the 1980s, the problematization of consumers was characterized by teaching economic thrift to ‘at-risk groups’. Through observations of and interviews with teachers and organizers, as well as analyzes of policy texts, this study shows that contemporary financial education instead describes a whole population of consumers lacking ‘financial self-confidence’. This study also shows how social, political, and economic developments prompted the problematization of the previously unnoticed issue of Swedish citizens’ ‘financial literacy’. Neo-liberal ideas and reforms, financialization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s promotion of financial literacy are all strong factors in the current problematization of Swedish consumers and the ongoing practice of financial education. Financial education attempts to foster economically rational, responsible, self-reliant financial citizens; in other words, it seeks to make people more like the ‘virtual consumer’ of neo- classic economic theory. The ideal consumer of contemporary financial education is expected to turn to financial markets to ensure his or her economic welfare. Doing so is assumed to lead consumers to contribute to efficient and stable global and national financial markets. However, consistent with the local problematization of Swedish consumers as having diverse problems and needs in relation to finance, such education is adjusted to fit different categories of consumers. While some are said to require financial ‘inspiration’ to become active and engaged financial consumers, the traditional morality of thrift still characterizes financial education tailored for consumers deemed to be at risk of over-indebtedness.

摘要

本文运用问题化的概念，揭示了瑞典金融知识教育实践中治理消费者的基本原理。在 1980 年代之前，消费者问题化的特点是向“风险群体”教授经济节俭。通过对教师和组织者的观察和采访，以及对政策文本的分析，本研究表明，当代金融教育反而描述了缺乏“金融自信”的整个消费者群体。这项研究还表明，社会、政治和经济发展如何促使瑞典公民的“金融知识”这一先前未被注意的问题成为问题。新自由主义思想和改革、金融化、以及经济合作与发展组织对金融知识的促进，这些都是当前瑞典消费者问题化和金融教育持续实践的重要因素。金融教育旨在培养经济理性、负责任、自力更生的金融公民；换句话说，它试图让人们更像新古典经济学理论中的“虚拟消费者”。当代金融教育的理想消费者有望转向金融市场以确保他或她的经济福利。这样做被认为可以引导消费者为高效和稳定的全球和国家金融市场做出贡献。然而，与瑞典消费者在金融方面存在各种问题和需求的地方问题一致，这种教育经过调整以适应不同类别的消费者。虽然据说有些人需要金融“启发”才能成为活跃和参与的金融消费者，但传统的节俭道德仍然是为被认为有过度负债风险的消费者量身定制的金融教育的特征。