Ist kritische Finanzbildung durchsetzbar?

Die orthodoxe und die wirtschaftsverbandsnahe Strömung der ökonomischen Bildung in Deutschland lassen sich gerne von Finanzkonzernen und Finanzlobbyisten finanzieren; beide Richtungen sind (deshalb?) von einer kritischen Finanzbildung ziemlich weit entfernt. Eine Reihe von Kultusministerien kooperiert bevorzugt mit den Anbietern von Finanzprodukten und öffnet deren Agenten weit die Türen zu den Schulen und ihren Klassenzimmern.
Dagegen gibt es durchaus kritische Ansätze, und nicht erst seit kurzem. Ein Wissenschaftler, der sich dies schon länger zur Aufgabe gemacht hat, ist John Davies, Senior Lecturer am College of Education der neuseeländischen University of Canterbury in Christchurch. 
Er spricht von Studierenden als der "belasteten Generation", deren finanzielle Zukunft aufgrund einer grundsätzlichen generationalen Ungerechtigkeit eher düster aussehe und die über diese prekäre Lage aufzuklären sei (man denke allein an die Kosten für den Bailout der Banken in der Finanzkrise).
Die vorherrschenden Programme zur Finanzbildung bedürften dringend eines kritischen Korrektivs und alternativer Angebote. Von hoher Bedeutung sei der Zusammenhang von Wirtschaft und Politik, eine interdisziplinäre sozialwissenschaftliche Bildung sei nötig.
Zu den Grundlagen kritischer Finanzbildung gehöre:
"The assumptions underlying critical financial education are:

  • That the educational process should begin at school and carry over into higher education;
  • That since society will benefit from the development of a financially-informed citizenry, free public education about financial issues is also imperative. In other words, a far broader educational project is warranted than one focused exclusively on the formal educational system;
  • That financial education at its best draws on interdisciplinary/social scientific forms of analysis which are theoretically-driven and reinforced by independent research;
  • That knowledge of prevailing macroeconomic trends and conditions is essential coupled with an appreciation of the linkage between economics and politics since, for example, governments operate at the heart of the financial system, despite claims to the contrary;
  • That analysis must take on a ‘big picture' cast since the markets in question are global in scope;
  • That instruction must be grounded on a thorough understanding of what it is that financial markets actually do and whose interests they serve;
  • That a keen awareness is required of the bias produced by financialisation towards consumption and speculation at the expense of investment in the ‘real' economy;
  • That learning about risk should be a primary focus;
  • That foremost amongst the topics that should be covered in a live-now, pay-later society is debt-management;
  • That conversance with the shortcomings of individual financial markets is required. For example, research studies conclusively demonstrate that the odds are heavily weighted against the investing public as a whole ever ‘beating, the (stock) market' on any kind of consistent basis;
  • That teaching about the practicalities of investment should be centered on the distinction between nominal and real (after-inflation) rates of return;
  • That attention must also be directed towards the psychological (behavioural) factors that move financial markets;
  • That following OECD guidelines, both retirement-saving and home-buying be accepted as high priority research areas;
  • That the dynamics of asset class inflation need to be grasped as must the notion that substantially over-valued assets tend ultimately to revert to the historic mean;
  • That being financially-educated means possessing the skills to demystify financial hype and to evaluate the quality of financial products and advice on offer;
  • That research be policy-oriented and reform-minded especially given the rapid rise of inequalities following financial market liberalisation. This unprecedented widening of the wealth gap could overshadow all other economic and social problems in the future.
  • In short, a vast pedagogical exercise is required in order to ensure our financial well-being as individuals and as a community."

 (Quelle: http://www.eshd.canterbury.ac.nz/people/davies.shtml 14.1.2012)

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