Decolonizing Financial Knowledge

Traditional financial education has often led to the exclusion of marginalized individuals through the use of financial jargon, paywalls, and deficit-oriented approaches. These models individualize responsibility while ignoring structural and cultural contexts, thereby perpetuating wealth gaps (Lusardi et al., 2017). Recent studies emphasize the need for culturally responsive frameworks that account for collective well-being, historical marginalization, and intersectional inequities. In addition, literature highlights how education must be transformative, inclusive, and attuned to the lived realities of marginalized communities, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all models (Blue & Pinto, 2023; Pinto, 2012), by integrating culture, values, and community praxis (Blue, 2016). Social media presents a potential shift. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow financial influencers (“finfluencers”) from underrepresented backgrounds to bypass institutional gatekeeping and reach diverse audiences. A 2024 study by Al-Shami et al. shows that both financial and digital financial literacy significantly increase financial inclusion among subjects, with the use of social media strengthening the relationship. This underscores the role of digital platforms in translating literacy into inclusion when content is accessible and culturally relevant. This study employs a qualitative content analysis of marginalized influencers and audience comments to evaluate the methods of accessibility and inclusivity. Findings will evaluate if social media democratizes financial knowledge for excluded groups, offering insights into how culturally grounded digital practices can reshape financial literacy and equity.