What Do the Poor Value? Exploring the Social Well-being and the Elements of a Good Life of the Poor in Egypt Dr. Solava Ibrahim Brooks World Poverty Institute

What Do the Poor Value?

Exploring the Social Well-being and

the Elements of a Good Life of the Poor in Egypt

Dr. Solava Ibrahim

Brooks World Poverty Instituteand Chronic Poverty Research Centre

The University of Manchester

DSA 2010 Conference

Solava Ibrahim 5 Nov 2010

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Is It enough that Development

Policies ‘score’ highly in Macro-

indicators or should these

Policies enhance the

Actual and Perceived Well-being

of the Poor?

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Development processes should be embedded in people’s values and grounded in their experiences.

Policymakers need to rethink their

priorities, account for ‘what the poor value’ and

design more relevant and effective policies

that promote the capabilities of the poor.

.

Main Argument

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1. Why is the CA a suitable framework for assessing

well-being?

2. How can the Values of the Poor be articulated?

3. What do the Poor Value? – Elements of a Good Life

4. Why are Social Relations important for the Poor?

5. Why is it difficult for the Poor to engage in Collective

Action?

6. What does all this mean for Policymakers?

Key Questions

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Why is the CA a suitable Framework

for assessing Well-being?

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Putting Freedom at the Centre Accounting for Inter-cultural and Inter-

personal variations Broadening the Informational Space of

Well-being Emphasizing Social Justice and Equality Calling for Democratic Processes and

Public Discussions

Capability Approach as Conceptual Framework for Well-being

Assessment

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How can the Values of the Poor

be articulated?

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Instead of going to the ‘Southern field’ to test

‘Northern theories’, the methodology needs to

generate a list of ‘what the poor value’

in each cultural and social context.

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Methodologies developed to articulate Well-being Perceptions: e.g.

Narayan et.al., 2000a; 2000b; WeD group in Bath, Clark, 2002;Semerci, 2004; Anand, Hunter and Smith 2005; Anand and van

Hees, 2006.

Take the ideas of the poor seriously

Generate a list of ‘elements of a good life’ through deliberative processes

‘A Person who is not Poor who pronounces on what matters to those who are Poor is in a Trap’ (Chambers, 1997, 163)

How can the Values of the Poor be articulated?

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There is an URGENT need to build a database of

the Poor’s Voices!

Why are these Studies – one-offs?

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The Starting Point is

the Definition of a

Capability:

the various freedoms or

“choices” that a person

values and has reason to

value

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Capability

FunctioningConversio

nFactors

1. Do you value………?2. Why do you value……..?

3. Have you succeeded in achieving ………..?

4. Why have/haven’t you succeeded in achieving.?

Exploring the Poor’s Values and Achievements

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General Well-being: Life Satisfaction, Elements of a Good Life, Poor’s Problems, Unfulfilled “Capabilities”

Material Well-being: Income, Education, Employment, Health, Housing, Transportation, Safety

Social Well-being: Social respect and Fair Treatment, Family and Friends, Communal trust, Relationship with formal institutions (the state, NGOs and religious organizations), Political freedom

Mental Well-being: Leisure and Free Time, Life Planning, Fears and Worries.

Missing Dimensions: Completing any missing Dimensions of Well-being through the Voices of the Poor

Exploring Different Well-being Dimensions

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Two Fieldwork Sites: Manshiet Nasser: Poorest

Urban Slum in Cairo Menia: Rural Villages in

Upper Egypt

Sampling: Stratified Random

Sampling: Age and Gender

Snowballing

Applying the New Methodology: Egypt as Case Study

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What do the Poor Value?

Elements of a Good Life

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Elements of a Good LifeBelief in God 23.8

Income 15.0

Housing 10.0

Peace of Mind/Satisfaction 8.8

Jobs 7.5

Family 7.5

Children 6.3

Health 3.8

Partner 3.8

Education 3.8

Safe Surrounding (local and national) 3.8

Social Relations/Engagement 2.5

Personal Traits 2.5

Food 1.3

Total 100.0

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Do the Poor’s Perceptions of

Well-being differacross Regions and

Societies?

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Elements of a Good Life: Rural vs. Urban

Manshiet Nasser (urban slum)

Menia (rural villages)

1. Belief in God 1. Belief in God

2. Income / Housing 2. Income

3. Peace of Mind and Satisfaction / Jobs

3. Family

4. Education/ Safe surrounding

4. Children

5. Social Engagement/ Good Partner

5. Peace of Mind/Satisfaction/ Housing

6. Health/ Family/ Children/ Food

6. Health/Good Character/ Jobs/Good Partner

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Elements of a Good Life

(My General list)

Elements of a Good Life (Clark, 2002, 172)

1. Income 1. Jobs

2. Belief in God 2. Housing

3. Jobs 3. Education4. Happy Family 4. Income

5. Housing 5. Good Family

6. Social Relations/ Peace of Mind/Satisfaction

6. Living a religious/Christian life

Elements of a Good Life: Egypt vs. South Africa

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Why are Social Relations important

for the Poor?

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Intrinsic Reasons: Natural importance: ‘human beings are social by

nature’; Social capital as compensation for material

deprivation Religious blessing: ‘Love is from God. Jesus taught us,

love thy neighbour as thyself’.

Instrumental Reasons: Mutual support: Family (52.5%), Family and Friends

(13.8%), Friends (7.5%), Neighbours (2.5%) Catalysts for Social Mobility, esp. bridging social capital Economic functions, e.g. finding jobs & exchanging

skills Spill-over effect on other Capabilities, e.g. education.

Valuing Social Relations

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Instrumental Reasons: Enhancing psychological well-being: ‘life

without people is like a paradise that no one would wish to enter’.

Problem sharing, esp. for women Promoting feelings of self-worth Heritage that the poor can leave for their

children: ‘having good social relations allows me to leave a good legacy for my children after I die’.

Social relations are important not only for economic reasons, but also for enhancing the social and mental well-being of the poor and their feelings of security.

Valuing Social Relations

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Why is difficult for the Poor to engage in Collective Action?

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Why is Collective Action Difficult?

Given Limited Time, Self-interest First ‘working hours render collective action

rather difficult as people work day and night’

‘Self-interested’ Cooperation Only ‘people expect something in return from

collective action’

Lack of Communal Trust ‘people betray each other these days!’

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Why is Collective Action Difficult?

A Culture of Collective Action?

‘people are not used to undertaking collective action’

Mistrusting the Government ‘working with political parties only serves these

parties, not the public’

No Belief in a Common Goal ‘everyone has his/her own ideas and believes they

are right’

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Reasons for Limited Collective Action

Lack of Awareness

Lack of Funds

‘Unable to Appear in Public without Shame’

Husband’s Refusal

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Participation in Collective Action: Yes!

Sense of Belonging to their Area

‘people see that there is something wrong with their area and they want to fix it’

Religious/ Moral Motives ‘people participate to get reward from God’

Support of External Actors & Local Leaders‘the elderly encourage us to act collectively’

‘NGO projects make people get used to collective activities’

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What does all this mean for

Policymakers?

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Policymakers need to:

(1)Prioritize the elements of a good life that the poor value,

(2) Design policies that help the poor tap on social relations,

(3) Encourage the poor to undertake acts of collective action.

However, how is this possible in practice?

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1. Do not assume that we know ‘what the poor value or want’

2. Do not claim that ‘the poor do not know what is good for them’. If the poor do not know what is good for them, then we will definitely not know either!

3. Do not only undertake philosophical or empirical explorations of well-being, these explorations should be grounded and based on the ‘voices of the poor’.

4. Do not reject the capability approach, it can be a wider and more comprehensive framework for well-being assessment.

5. Do not exclude ‘qualitative’ methods just because they are more difficult to implement, but rather build up new ‘qualitative’ databases.

Policy Implications

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Do not design irrelevant policies. Policies should address what the poor value e.g. in Egypt four key policy areas: income, jobs, family and housing.

Do not assess the effectiveness of policies solely by macro-indicators. Policies should be assessed by the extent to which they help the poor achieve what they value.

Do not only identify the elements the poor value, but also understand why the poor value these elements. For example, if the poor value employment for intrinsic

reasons, providing them with unemployment allowance is not enough for enhancing their well-being.

Policy Implications

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Do not undermine the importance of social relations, but carefully assess the impact of policies on them and examine how they can improve the effectiveness of policies.

Do not leave the poor with no systems of support, instead work on strengthening possible means of supporting them, e.g. through religious and civil society organizations.

Do not assume the poor cannot undertake collective action, but rather understand the importance of sequencing for the success of collective action among the poor: Improve their living conditions first Work with local and religious leaders and the elderly in poor communities Target the youth

Do not dominate! Donors and NGOs should be facilitators between the state and the poor to build a real and equal partnership between them.

Policy Implications

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Conclusion

Need to Learn to ‘Listen’ to the Voices of the Poor, ‘Respect’ what They value and ‘Build on’

their Human Agency

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Thank You

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Questions or

Comments ?

Documents

What Do the Poor Value? Exploring the Social Well-being and the Elements of a Good Life of the Poor in Egypt Dr. Solava Ibrahim Brooks World Poverty Institute