This article builds upon classic economic perspectives of financial behavior by applying the
narrative identity perspective of cultural sociology to explain how lower-income families …

American households increasingly carry debt. Taking on debt can increase consumption
beyond what one's income can support, it can smooth consumption during periods when …

Relying on panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), this study
finds that about half the study sample (N= 5,304) never experienced annual debt between …

This chapter offers a novel reading of the political economy and cultural economy literature
on financialization and debt as it coalesces around understandings of “indebtedness.” It …

This book has highlighted the ways in which unmanageable debt threatens the well-being of
the American middle class. The chapters have described the harms of financial failure from …

An understanding of personal debt requires an understanding of the complex social systems
that produce poverty. By drawing upon international perspectives, this book investigates why …

Research on debt highlights its use as a tool for investment and a substitute for public
welfare programs. Use of debt, however, is not equal across social groups. Black …

The 2008 mortgage crash and the online publics that have emerged in its aftermath have
reshaped American interpretations of indebtedness. Combining research among …

Markets for consumer credit experienced an explosive growth in both developed and
developing countries during the last decades. In the last years, two main frameworks …

This article explores the role of personal debt in the transition to parenthood. We analyze
data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth-1997 cohort and find that for the …