<p>In course of time the role of the individual being has become increasingly important in the fight against poverty. Through its microcredit programmes, the organization Grameen Bank offers “aid to self-help” to poor women on the countryside in Bangladesh. The purpose of this essay is to investigate how participation in Grameen’s microcredit programmes can affect these women’s social situation and working situation. In order to achieve the purpose the following questions have been formulated: How does microcredit affect women’s self-esteem, influence in the household, and exposure to domestic violence? How does microcredit affect women’s occupational situation, to what extent do they have control over their loans, and how is microcredit regarded in comparison with permanent jobs, as a way to reduce poverty?</p><p>The research, which has been carried out as a qualitative text analysis, shows that Grameen plays an important role when it comes to improving women’s living conditions. The access to microcredit helps women increasing their working activity as well as their self-esteem and influence in the household. However, microcredit does not merely create positive consequences. There are cases where microcredit increases the risk of domestic violence. Often the loans are transferred within the household, and then controlled by men. In addition, women’s use of microcredit is still confined to activities traditionally performed by women. These factors are important to consider when evaluating Grameen’s programmes, since they counteract Grameen’s vision of creating development for women.</p>

Credito deriva etimologicamente da “credere”, cioè avere fiducia, confidare. Chi già possiede molto dimostra facilmente di essere in grado di restituire un prestito e di conseguenza non fa fatica ad ottenerlo. Chi invece non dispone di risorse finanziarie adeguate, chi non è “bancabile” viene escluso. È qui che entra in gioco la fiducia, perché ci si può sentire garantiti anche solo dalla conoscenza personale del debitore, dalla sua storia creditizia. Si parla in questi casi di garanzia solidale, alternativa. Se il credito è “micro”, la fiducia invece è “macro”. Oltre alla fiducia nel concetto di microcredito ci sono una serie di ingredienti fondamentali che non possono mancare. Innanzitutto ci deve essere un prestito di piccole dimensioni. Poi ci deve essere uno scopo diverso dal semplice consumo: l’avvio di attività produttive e commerciali, un aiuto a superare particolari e temporanee situazioni di crisi che possa fornire delle risorse minime fondamentali per interrompere il circolo della povertà e del necessario ricorso all’usura. Il microcredito che è nato nei Paesi sottosviluppati si è esteso rapidamente anche nelle economie moderne. Anche il legislatore italiano nel 2010 ha introdotto nell’ordinamento nazionale una disciplina del microcredito. Tuttavia ricondurre all’interno degli schemi bancari tradizionali uno strumento così complesso come il microcredito che unisce in sé aspetti non solo finanziari ma anche e soprattutto etici può risultare riduttivo e rischia di vanificare i risultati raggiunti fino ad oggi nella prassi. Anche nel settore agricolo il microcredito può costituire un valido aiuto per lo sviluppo. Le regole e la logica del microcredito se funzionano bene nelle economie rurali dei Paesi sottosviluppati, come dimostrato dai diversi progetti posti in essere ad esempio in Uganda, fanno più fatica ad essere recepite nelle economie moderne, soprattutto in ambito agricolo dove le caratteristiche stesse dell’attività da finanziare e gli ingenti capitali iniziali necessari rendono lo strumento del microcredito poco utilizzabile. Tuttavia occorre puntare sullo sviluppo di questo strumento che ha dimostrato di avere numerosi punti di forza che possono davvero costituire un valido strumento di lotta alla povertà anche nelle economie moderne. / Credit derives etymologically from "believe". People who have money can easily demonstrate to be able to repay a loan and therefore not is hard to get it. Those who do not have adequate financial resources, those who are not "bankable" are excluded. If the credit is "micro", trust instead is "macro". In addition to trust, in the concept of microcredit there are a number of essential ingredients that can not miss. First, there must be a loan small. Then, the start of production and business activities can help to overcome individual temporary crisis situations that may provide minimal resources essential to stop the cycle of poverty . Microcredit who was born in underdeveloped countries has expanded rapidly in modern economies. Even the Italian legislature in 2010 adopted national discipline of microcredit. However, it’s hard to find the rules to regulate the microcredit and the risk is to delete the results achieved in practice. Even in agriculture microcredit can be a valuable aid for development. The rules and logic of microcredit work well in rural economies of developing countries, as shown by several projects for example in Uganda, but in modern economies the characteristics of the activities and the enormous initial capital required make the instrument of microcredit little usable. However the development of this tool is very important because microcredit can really be a valuable tool for fighting poverty even in advanced economies.

The Thesis "The Change of Development Aid's Paradigm on the Microfinance Example" deals with the issue of microfinance from the point of view of development theories. Microfinance as a form of development aid is a relatively new phenomenon. It is a form of a direct financial support of small entrepreneurs in developing countries. Since the 90s commercial institutions have become increasingly involved in the process of microfinancing and projects and financing have gone beyond borders of individual states. After 2000 microfinance has become a part of the agenda of international organizations. In the last century, there was a dynamic development in the area of development theories. The change of development aid's paradigm, which took place during the 90s, marked a culmination of this process. Since the 90s the term Comprehensive Development Framework is being used. This thesis verifies validity of the subsequent hypothesis, interest in microfinancing is in accordance with the change of development theories paradigm. The incorporation of microfinance into the development aid's agenda is assessed by concepts the new paradigm works with; the human potential (individual as an active player of development), role of the institutional environment, multidisciplinarity and sustainable development.

Cette thèse interroge les processus de communication qui autorisent la construction du microcrédit - pratique de prêts à des personnes pauvres - comme cause internationale. Un réseau d’acteurs nommé « Campagne du Sommet du Microcrédit » milite activement pour sa reconnaissance en tant qu’outil de lutte contre la pauvreté. L’étude de ses pratiques et des formes de son discours éclaire les conditions de possibilité logistique et symbolique de la conversion d’une technique financière en cause louable, endossable et universalisable.L’approche communicationnelle de cet objet se formule au croisement de deux axes théoriques qui forment les deux niveaux d’analyse d’un matériau composite - documentaire et ethnographique.Le premier axe concerne la démarche stratégique d’« entrepreneurs de cause » qui défendent une thématique et en accompagnent la trajectoire publique. Il questionne les conditions de la visibilité de la cause et met, ainsi, en évidence les contraintes d’une exigence de visibilité et les normes d’action et de justification qu’elle impose aux acteurs.Le second axe s’attache aux médiations symboliques - formes intercalaires, rémanentes et circulantes - qui incarnent la cause en-Deçà et au-Delà des déclarations d’intention. Il interroge, alors, sa lisibilité en élucidant les régimes de construction de deux figures nécessaires et complémentaires - le micro et le macroentrepreneur - et leurs effets de sens paradoxaux.La thèse confronte donc les « arrière-Pensées » des formes aux intentions stratégiques des acteurs qui les mobilisent et éclaire ainsi la mécanique d’inscription d’une perspective contemporaine du traitement de la pauvreté dans son « ordre de discours ». / Microcredit is a widespread financial tool, originally designed to lend small amounts of money to very poor people.This thesis questions the communication processes that enabled its construction as an international cause. Microcredit Summit Campaign is a network of organizations that strongly advocates for the acknowledgement of microcredit as a tool to fight poverty . The study of its practices and the forms of its discourse highlights the logistic and symbolic conditions required for the conversion of a financial theory into a praiseworthy, endorsable and universal cause.Drawing on a discourse and semiotic analysis of documented and ethnographical sources, the communicational approach of this topic links together two theoretical perspectives.On the one hand, it focuses on Microcredit Summit Campaign as a social movement organization and discusses the symbolic constraints imposed by a requirement for visibility in the public sphere. It influences their eligibility as spokeperson, their standards of action and their modes of justification.On the other hand, the thesis questions the legibility of microcredit as a cause. In this perspective, it analyzes the symbolic mediations that allow it to be embodied. To support the analysis, two compatible actors – “microentrepreneur” and “macroentrepreneur” - are strategically used in the discourse. The study of their characteristics reveals a paradoxical symbolic meaning and effect.Thus, the thesis confronts the "ulterior motives" of the semiotic forms used to support the discourse with the strategic intentions. In doing so, it sheds light on how a contemporary perspective on treating poverty is symbolically integrated in its " orders of discourse ".

In course of time the role of the individual being has become increasingly important in the fight against poverty. Through its microcredit programmes, the organization Grameen Bank offers “aid to self-help” to poor women on the countryside in Bangladesh. The purpose of this essay is to investigate how participation in Grameen’s microcredit programmes can affect these women’s social situation and working situation. In order to achieve the purpose the following questions have been formulated: How does microcredit affect women’s self-esteem, influence in the household, and exposure to domestic violence? How does microcredit affect women’s occupational situation, to what extent do they have control over their loans, and how is microcredit regarded in comparison with permanent jobs, as a way to reduce poverty? The research, which has been carried out as a qualitative text analysis, shows that Grameen plays an important role when it comes to improving women’s living conditions. The access to microcredit helps women increasing their working activity as well as their self-esteem and influence in the household. However, microcredit does not merely create positive consequences. There are cases where microcredit increases the risk of domestic violence. Often the loans are transferred within the household, and then controlled by men. In addition, women’s use of microcredit is still confined to activities traditionally performed by women. These factors are important to consider when evaluating Grameen’s programmes, since they counteract Grameen’s vision of creating development for women.