Why should I trust this number? Re-mathematizing inflation in financial education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Financial Literacy and Numeracy Across Ecological Levels: Examining Global, National, Local, and Home Discourses of Financial Education

Abstract

This presentation examines how inflation is represented in Canada’s financial and media discourses and how these representations format (Skovsmose, 2014) public trust in economic systems. Through a pilot workshop with adult learners, participants created their own inflation models using limited data, revealing inflation as a constructed index rather than an objective fact. The study highlights how financial literacy education can foster critical awareness by demystifying economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index. Drawing on Carney’s (2021) view of trust as structural, the presentation argues that transparency in financial modeling can rebuild trust and promote democratic engagement. It calls for financial education that emphasizes inquiry, interpretation, and the systemic dimensions of economic data.

Authors

• Deborah Benhamu, University of Toronto - OISE

• Annie Savard, McGill University

• Alexandre Cavalcante, University of Toronto