Learning to serve the poor

If economic sociology deals with social networks, and if economic sociologists are at work trying to understand human behaviour, why can’t a part of their effort be put to good use for social issues? I mean, take poverty, for instance. Two-thirds of the world’s population suffer from poverty and yet, this huge majority is marginalised from the main economy… while economic sociologists continue to study consumer behaviour in their favourite urban markets, for the benefit of their multinational clients.

Most of the goods and services, today, are tailored for the urban population, and the economy benefits from serving this segment, totally ignoring those in low-income groups. Most businesses consider customers in low-income groups as unviable – too risky to serve. And, because the markets ignore them, low-income communities are at the mercy of inefficient suppliers, or are deprived of critical goods and services such as electricity, housing and healthcare.

In India, as in the rest of the world, this should be a serious concern for all of us. But maybe, there’s a way out. Maybe there’s a way to address poverty and understand the market dynamics of the low-income population. Maybe, there are approaches to solving the problems of those suffering from poverty… or are close to it. And, who can be better qualified for this job than the economic sociologists who understand human behaviour and market forces? Perhaps, it’s time for them to learn to serve the poor. And, in turn, we can learn from them.