Low-income households are persistently exposed to economic uncertainty due to unstable income sources, limited access to formal financial services, and vulnerability to adverse financial shocks. Consequently, understanding how economically constrained households manage financial resources and respond to risks has become an important research area spanning development economics, behavioral finance, household economics, and financial inclusion. Despite substantial growth in studies examining saving practices, borrowing decisions, financial literacy, informal insurance mechanisms, and household resilience, the intellectual structure and evolution of this interdisciplinary field remain fragmented. The study is theoretically anchored in the capability approach, permanent income and consumption-smoothing theory, behavioural economics, and the financial resilience and financial inclusion frameworks, which jointly informed the search strategy and guided the interpretation of the themes identified. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research on financial behavior and risk management strategies among low-income households using publications indexed in the Scopus database. Bibliographic records published between 1994 and 2025 were analysed using performance analysis and science mapping techniques. The study applies citation analysis, productivity analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, collaboration network analysis, and thematic evolution analysis to identify influential contributions, dominant research themes, and emerging directions. The findings reveal a growing scholarly interest in household financial resilience, particularly after increasing global attention to financial vulnerability, economic shocks, and inclusive financial systems. The intellectual landscape is characterized by interconnected themes including financial inclusion, household risk management, consumption smoothing, informal insurance, microfinance, and financial literacy. The study identifies important knowledge gaps related to digital financial technologies, climate-related financial risks, behavioral interventions, and financial resilience among vulnerable populations in developing economies. Overall, the field is best characterised as a maturing but still fragmented interdisciplinary domain, and the study recommends closer integration of the financial inclusion, literacy, and resilience sub-literatures, together with greater research and policy attention to climate-related financial risk, digital financial inclusion, and cross-cluster collaboration, to build a more cumulative and policy-relevant evidence base. By mapping the historical development and emerging trajectories of this research domain, this study provides valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners seeking to strengthen financial resilience among low-income households.
Handicrafting is both an economic activity and a cultural practice in African communities. In Tanzania, informal economic activities are vital for survival in old age, and older adults' livelihoods are shaped by various opportunities and challenges. Despite extensive research on workforce participation in Western gerontology, empirical evidence on older artisans' experiences in rural settings is limited. This study explored how older artisans in rural Masasi District sustain livelihoods amid changing socioeconomic conditions through handicraft activities. Using a qualitative descriptive design, 20 older artisans participated in in-depth interviews, and data were analysed thematically through the Productive Ageing Theory lens. Findings revealed that physical exhaustion from demanding handicraft work limits productivity, while lack of proper markets and limited digital literacy restrict online market opportunities, increasing reliance on local customers. Limited capital restricts business expansion and productivity, while seasonal raw material scarcity disrupts income stability. Weak formal and informal support systems increase vulnerability. However, continued work in old age and the handicrafts' role in preserving cultural knowledge remain important strengths. This study emphasises the need for inclusive social work interventions, including improved financial access, market linkages, digital inclusion, and community-based support systems to enhance livelihood sustainability and preserve cultural heritage among older artisans.
Quarrying serves as both a lifeline and a challenge for rural communities in Tanzania, where livelihoods depend on extracting stone amidst environmental and economic hardships. This study examines the risks, challenges and socioeconomic impacts of quarrying on 300 households across Mzumbe, Mlali and Melela villages using a quantitative research approach. Through surveys and statistical analyses—including descriptive statistics, K-means clustering and principal component analysis—the study explores participation patterns, sociodemographic influences, environmental awareness and perceived risks. Results show that males (64.6%) are more involved in quarrying than females (70.6%), with significant links to marital status, age and employment status. Quarrying households earn higher incomes but also face financial burdens and higher dependency ratios, indicating that despite increased earnings, their economic pressures remain high due to larger household sizes and greater financial responsibilities. Major challenges include health risks (70%), environmental degradation (65%) and income instability (62%), with 39% of households uncertain about their future in quarrying. While environmental awareness, particularly regarding deforestation, is high, barriers such as lack of capital and equipment hinder participation, especially among poorer households. Despite these risks, economic necessity drives many to continue quarrying as a primary source of income. To mitigate its negative impacts, the study recommends formalizing the sector to improve safety regulations, enhancing education to expand livelihood opportunities, providing financial support to address capital constraints and promoting sustainable practices through environmental education. Addressing these challenges is crucial for improving the well-being, economic stability and long-term sustainability of rural households engaged in quarrying in Tanzania.
The embedment of Entrepreneurship Education (EE) in Malaysian higher education system exemplified the government’s aspiration to strive for national entrepreneurship agenda. However, it is claimed that tertiary education students particularly who undertake the entrepreneurship program found it difficult to materialize good business idea. In respective to that, the implementation of Website-Brainstorming Hybrid (WBH) as an innovative approach to rectify such situation. Therefore, this study aims to reflect on such implementation in teaching and learning from the viewpoint of the researchers-observers. A mixed-method approach using various tools including interview protocols, content analysis and observation sheet were utilized. It serves as the methodological triangulation and the data is then analysed using thematic analysis. The reflections revealed that WBH innovative approach implementation serves some positive significance towards developing the ability to produce good business ideas among tertiary education students. It is deemed as an eye-opener while bridging both the communication and knowledge gap between students and practitioners in better realization of entrepreneurial idea. Practically, this study sheds the light on how an innovative approach (i.e; WBH approach) could help to strengthen the foundation of a strong entrepreneurial idea and while from the policy maker perspective, an effective yet inclusive approach towards improving tertiary students’ soft skills in teaching and learning should be focused on. This could move the nation a step closer towards realising the agenda of holistic students’ development.
