The amateur investor in the stock market: a social analysis on the economic agency

Author(s)

Eduardo Vilar Bonaldi

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2010-09-02

Examining board members

Sylvia Gemignani Garcia; Roberto Grun; Nadya Araujo Guimaraes

• Advisor: Ruy Gomes Braga Neto

Abstract

The present research centers its focus upon the natural person that trades stocks in the Brazilian stock market. This universe of investors is generally acknowledged as \'small investors\', regardless to the capital one has for stock investment, his experience or knowledge about the stock exchange. The research carries out an analysis on the social, cultural and technological factors that shape, affect and influence the economic agency among such investors. Eleven semi-structured interviews with small investors and two interviews with professionals that work on the education of these investors have been conducted. Moreover, I have attended several work-shops dedicated to this investment public, as well as analyzed sites, electronic forums and virtual lectures aimed at this public. The investigation of this empirical data associated to the study of the economic sociology bibliography have brought about the identification of five mediation spaces, through which small investors shape their concrete modes of economic agency on social, cultural and technological grounds. These five mediation spaces may be summed up as it follows: 1. the influence of educational initiatives and agents on small investors, 2. the impact of social networks on the economic agencies of such investors, 3. the shaping of investment styles ( either \'conservative\' or \'aggressive\') based on social identities and roles these investors vindicate, 4. the impact of technologies and softwares that ground the economic agencies of small investors and, finally, 5. the constant association between stock investment and the cultural universe of games among this universe of investors. As a conclusion, opposed to the orthodox financial economics, we argue that economic agency is a complex process along which individuals shape their rational calculations according to social, cultural and technological factors or dimensions. (AU)