Financialization and Systemic Income Inequality: A Call to Action for Social Work Educators and Practitioners

ABSTRACT The transition to a financialized economy has had a devastating impact on workers and consumers and exacerbated wealth and income inequality in the United States and around the world. In this article, the authors explain financialization, a two-fold economic strategy whereby individual corporations invest in the financial market- rather than make capital improvements- to earn a profit and global and domestic economies heavily invest in and depend upon financial, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) ventures. If the social work profession is to meet its obligation to promote social and economic justice, practitioners and students must understand this economic strategy and its consequences. The social work education, practice, and policy literature elaborates upon the role that practitioners can play in helping clients achieve financial literacy. This reflects a largely micro approach to the problems created and maintained by financialization. Macro interventions are required, however, since financialization is indicative of and exacerbates systemic economic inequality. Therefore, the authors identify suggested content for the generalist and foundation practice, policy, field, and continuing education curricula that identifies the knowledge and skills needed to help clients with their financial difficulties and challenges the underlying economic forces that contributed to them.