Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112256
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dc.contributor.authorVella, Mary Grace-
dc.contributor.authorMintoff, Yana-
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-07T07:45:38Z-
dc.date.available2023-08-07T07:45:38Z-
dc.date.issued2023-
dc.identifier.citationVella, M.G., & Mintoff, Y. (2023). Usury: Causes and Impact on Wellbeing. Studies in Social Wellbeing, 2(1), 7-19.en_GB
dc.identifier.issn30074479-
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112256-
dc.description.abstractAs neo-liberalism became the accepted way of life, profit on interest has lost its negative and unethical connotations and has become a social norm. Usury however is considered an economic crime since the lender is not an authorised financial institution and is charging in excess of the interest rate restrictions of 8% established under Maltese Civil and Criminal Law. Despite its criminalisation, usury remains a widespread though hidden phenomenon within the Maltese Islands. Usury flourishes in corrupt settings driven by extortion, fear and violence. Yet, it is not considered a vital issue in terms of policy development and evidence-based practice. The research shows that there are various factors which may lead one to turn to usury, varying from structural factors to personal circumstances. Moreover, usury has a wide-ranging negative impact on all spheres of the victim’s life, financially, socially, psychologically and emotionally. Usury is indeed a vicious cycle which perpetuates itself on both the macro-community as well as on the personal level, leading to ever-increasing traps of over-indebtedness. Soundly based on qualitative research with stakeholders involved in the field, this exposition aims to raise awareness of the causes of usury and the impact that it has on both personal and social wellbeing, whilst setting forth vital policy recommendations.en_GB
dc.language.isoenen_GB
dc.publisherUniversity of Malta. Faculty for Social Wellbeingen_GB
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessen_GB
dc.subjectUsuryen_GB
dc.subjectWell-beingen_GB
dc.subjectNeoliberalismen_GB
dc.subjectUsury lawsen_GB
dc.subjectInterest ratesen_GB
dc.titleUsury : causes and impact on wellbeingen_GB
dc.typearticleen_GB
dc.rights.holderThe copyright of this work belongs to the author(s)/publisher. The rights of this work are as defined by the appropriate Copyright Legislation or as modified by any successive legislation. Users may access this work and can make use of the information contained in accordance with the Copyright Legislation provided that the author must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the prior permission of the copyright holderen_GB
dc.description.reviewedpeer-revieweden_GB
dc.publication.titleStudies in Social Wellbeingen_GB
Appears in Collections:Studies in Social Wellbeing : Volume 2 Issue 1
Studies in Social Wellbeing : Volume 2 Issue 1

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