A REVIEW OF RECENT PROGRESS IN FINANCIAL EXCLUSION RESEARCHES ABROAD:FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FINANCIAL GEOGRAPHY
ZHANG Guo-jun1, ZHOU Chun-shan2,3, BIAN Yan4
1. School of Public Policy and Management, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou 510320, China;
2. School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
3. Guangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
4. College of Business Administration, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Abstract With the relaxation of financial regulation, advances in information technology and the "multi-dimensional turns" in western economic geography since the 1990 s, the question of financial exclusion has attracted great attention from geographers due to the clear spatial characteristics of institutional networks. A comprehensive survey of relevant research in other countries shows the following main developments: research perspectives have shifted from emphasizing geographical factors to emphasizing human and institutional factors and the object of research has changed from financial exclusion in developed countries to that in developing countries. This research has focused on four topics: the definition of financial exclusion, the related theory, its phenomenon, causes and influences, and countermeasure analysis. The definition of financial exclusion has been expanded gradually from "access to the basic financial products and services" to "the use of these financial products and services". Research on the current state of financial exclusion has developed gradually from a single index description of "no bank account" to multiple indexes of quantitative financial exclusion measurements. The consequences of financial exclusion have been analyzed in terms of the resulting socio-economic problems such as the lack of financial fairness, poverty, income gaps, and the expanding of regional economic disparity, and countermeasures have been suggested.
2015, Vol. 30 
