A Field Experiment on Marketplace Literacy and Self-Help Group Membership in Subsistence Marketplaces.

This article reports on a field experiment conducted in South India to examine how marketplace literacy education and membership in self-help groups (SHGs) influence coping strategies among low-income women in subsistence marketplaces. Marketplace literacy refers to consumer skills and knowledge that foster abstract thinking and informed decision-making, while SHGs provide social support and collaborative learning opportunities. The study found that both marketplace literacy and SHG membership independently improved strategies for managing product quantities—specifically, making versus buying products, smoothing purchase quantities, and stocking across products. However, contrary to expectations, the interaction between marketplace literacy and SHG membership produced counterintuitive effects, with combined participation reducing the use of some coping strategies, suggesting that social influences within groups may dilute individual-level knowledge gains. These findings highlight the complex interplay between individual capabilities and social contexts in empowering low-income consumers and suggest directions for future research on literacy, social support, and consumer behavior in resource-constrained settings.