Abstract
This thesis argues that as access to credit became essential to participate in the economy after 1945, lenders’ discrimination against women and minority credit applicants became a denial of an economic civil right. The principle of equal access to credit as a civil right was defended and expanded by Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, who spent 17 years (1973-1990) campaigning for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which outlawed credit discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, ethnicity, country of origin, age, and religion. The movement that created the ECOA was part of a broader national shift towards social and economic equality. However, because the ECOA has been covered sparingly and inaccurately, it represents an aspect of economic social justice that is rarely examined by historians.
Advisor
Roche, Jeff
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Perrin, Christopher J., "Dangerous Consumers: A History of Credit Inequality" (2018). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7976.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7976
Disciplines
Business | Economics | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | History | Law | Women's History
Keywords
Credit, Women's history, finance, lending, consumer culture, consumers, business history
Publication Date
2018
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2018 Christopher J. Perrin