On Wed, 9 Nov 2005, Dennis Perrin wrote:
> Could any of you economic comrades please lay out for me what exactly
> microfinance really means?
My favorite short summary and critique is by Gina Neff (originally writing under the alias Gina Graham) in the Left Business Observer 8 years ago entitled "Microcredit, Microresults:"
http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Micro.html
That was mainly about the international aspect, which back then was focused on the Grameen Bank. Later she wrote a detailed and in depth article evaluating the results of the program worked in the US up through 1999:
<cite>
Neff, G. "The failure of funding social capital: An evaluation of microfinance funding in the United States, 1996-1999." In R. M. Silverman (Ed.), _Community-based organizations in contemporary urban society: The intersection of social capital and local context_. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
<uncite>
and if you have access to a university library, the book is now out:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814331572/103-8781341-6707833?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance
Michael