A sociocultural approach to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations emphasises poverty reduction through financial inclusion, highlighting the challenges faced by women in the unorganised sector who lack access to credit due to the absence of physical collateral. Self-help group bank linkages facilitate access to credit, but proactive strategies are necessary to manage collective efforts effectively. The chapter discusses how cultural factors, analysed through the Hofstede cultural prism, influence the financial sustainability of groups. Varied geographies exhibit different cultural norms, impacting the economic orientation of communities, such as the matriarchal societies in South India and patriarchal societies in North India. Additionally, rural societies vary in collectivism and individualism, affecting financial behaviour within groups. This exploration aims to understand how cultural factors impact financial behaviour and member orientation within self-help groups.