Since the turn of the Millennium, microinsurance has grown to
significant prominence in the development discourse. Microinsurance is
seen is one of the key tools to reduce the vulnerability of low-asset
families in developing countries. It is also increasingly perceived as a
business opportunity by insurance companies. However, to date little is
known about the social impact of microinsurance. Does it really help
low-asset people to manage their daily risks in a better way? How does
this work in detail? Are there any unintended social "side-effects"?
This PhD contributes to answering these still largely unexplored
questions. It is based on a largely qualitative analysis of the social
impacts of a simple credit-life microinsurance product in Indonesia.
Despite the product's simplicity, its social impact turns out to be a
highly complex process deeply enmeshed and contingent on social and
religious context. The present study reveals that the intended
developmental impact of this particular microinsurance product in
Indonesia was literally "micro", with a number of unexpected and
ambiguous social consequences.