dsa 2012 conference nov 3 rd, 2012 a comparative analysis of wellbeing perceptions and aspirations...

DSA 2012 ConferenceDSA 2012 ConferenceNov 3Nov 3rdrd, 2012 , 2012

A Comparative Analysis of Wellbeing Perceptions

and Aspirations in Egypt and the UK

Solava IbrahimLecturer in International Development

Institute for Development Policy and Management

The University of Manchester [email protected]


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It is possible to develop agrounded value-based Theory

of Wellbeing which is derived from people’s

voices and which accounts for what people ‘value and have reason to value’

.

Main Argument


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What do People Value?


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1. Conduct a Comparative Analysis of Wellbeing Perceptions in deprived communities in Egypt and the UK

2. Identify common drivers of deprivation and wellbeing in the Global North and the Global South

3. Explore the Role of Human Values and Human Agency in achieving Wellbeing

4. Present a new Standardized Methodology to articulate these valued capabilities

5. Presenting preliminary results comparing: Levels and Reasons for Life

satisfaction/dissatisfaction Elements of a Good Life Problems and Areas of Deprivation Unfulfilled Aspirations

Aims


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Why Wellbeing Analyses?


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Move away from studying poverty to studying poverty and wellbeing as two complementary and closely related areas of inquiry

Differentiating poverty reduction- from wellbeing-enhancing policies?

Growing interest among policymakers to articulate wellbeing perceptions to get a more comprehensive picture of how a country is progressing (ONS, 2011).

Existing gap in national statistical systems on subjective wellbeing (Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi commission report, 2009)

Why Wellbeing Analyses?


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Developing a Grounded Value-based

Theory of Wellbeing

Why?


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Drawing on People’s voices rather than Aristotelian ethics, Philosophical abstract accounts or Economists’ indices

Identifying what is important for people not what we think is important for them!

Applying a new form of Empirical Action Philosophy that bridges disciplinary boundaries

Departing from happiness, life satisfaction and subjective wellbeing studies to ‘value-based’ accounts of wellbeing: Sen (1999): ‘What people value and have reason to

value’ Raibley (2011): ‘Wellbeing as Agential Flourishing’

Why Grounded Value-based Theory of Wellbeing?


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Bringing Agency back in by asking people four aspects of their wellbeing: (1) what they value; (2) why they value them; (3) whether they have achieved them or not; and (4) why.

Rendering Wellbeing assessment a crucial guide for policymakers by developing a new normative framework for wellbeing policy (Haybron and Tiberius, 2012).

Standardising the methodology for articulating people’s valued capabilities in different socio-cultural, political and economic contexts to allow for its application in the Global North and the Global South

Why Grounded Value-based Theory of Wellbeing?


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But!

Wellbeing is a complex and multidimensional

concept –

Give up its assessment?

No!


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Adopting a ‘suitable’ Conceptual Framework for Wellbeing Analyses

The Capability Approach?


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Emphasizes the importance of democratic processes and public deliberation in identifying which capabilities matter

Accounts for ‘what people value and have reason to value’ – not what they own, feel or are simply happy about.

Focuses on Process-freedom and is Agency-oriented : not only about achieving wellbeing, but also asks: HOW?

Acknowledges inter- and intra-cultural and intra-personal variations in accounting for ‘what wellbeing is’.

Broadening the Informational Space for assessing wellbeing – capabilities as potential choices and functionings as the actual achievements

Conceptualising Human Wellbeing:

Adopting the Capability Approach – Why?


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Developing a New Methodology to Articulate Wellbeing

Perceptions

Why?


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Existing methods focus on happiness or life satisfaction

Existing studies on capabilities usually measure functionings

Need to ask the ‘why’ question to identify the reasons behind the valuations and the achievements of valued capabilities (or the lack thereof)

Generate a list of valued capabilities that is based on people’s voices– thus reducing the gap between what people value and what policymakers prioritise.

Why a New Methodology for Wellbeing Assessment?


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Capability

Functioning

ConversionFactors

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

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

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

Grounded Methodological Approach to

Exploring Valued Capabilities


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General Well-being: Life Satisfaction, Elements of a Good Life, Problems, Aspirations

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

Special Section added in UK: social spending cuts and their impact on wellbeing; relationship with local and national organisations (e.g. Local council and charity organisations and NGOs)

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

The Questionnaire


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Life Satisfaction Are you generally satisfied with your life?

Why?

Elements of a Good Life: What do you think are the three most important aspects of a good life that you value?

Which of these three is the most important? which is the second most important?

Problems affecting Wellbeing: What do you think are the three main problems you are facing in your life?

Which of these problems of those three is the most important?

Unfulfilled Aspirations Are there any things that you aspired to achieve in life but could not?

What are the three most important things that you wished to achieve in life but couldn’t?/Are there things that you wished to achieve in life but couldn't?

Preliminary Results on the following Questions


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Each Questionnaire with ~ 92 open-ended questions: 80 conducted in Egypt 62 conducted in Salford

Two Fieldwork Sites in Egypt : Manshiet Nasser: one of the Poorest Urban Slums in Cairo Menia: Rural Villages in Upper Egypt

Two Fieldwork Sites in Salford : Weaste Claremont

Challenges of applying the Questionnaire in the ‘North’ Sampling:

Stratified Random Sampling: Age and Gender in Egypt Snowballing and Purposive Sampling in Egypt and the UK

Fieldwork


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Caveat!

This is not a representative sample, nevertheless, the rich

qualitative data and the random selection, could

allow for careful international

comparisons and (generalisations).

Can it all be coincidence? Unlikely!


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Sample Characteristics


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Sample Characteristics Equally Divided between men and women in both

countries

In the UK, biased towards Weaste (65%) due to higher levels of deprivation than Claremont, but in Egypt equally divided between both locations to allow for rural-urban comparisons.

In Egypt, biased towards younger (18-40 years) (67.5%)age group, due to national dependency ratio of 70%; while in UK equally divided between ‘younger’ and ‘older’ age groups.

Egypt Salford

AGE TotalYoung Old

Gender Male 18 12 30Female 13 19 32

Total 31 31 62

AGE TotalYoung Old

Gender Male 25 14 39Female 29 12 41

Total 54 26 80


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Life Satisfaction


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Life Satisfaction In Egypt - 52.5% of the respondents were satisfied

with their lives, 42.5% dissatisfied and only 5% indifferent.

In the UK – 72.6% indicated they were satisfied compared to 25.8% who said No and 1.6% were indifferent

What Does this Mean? The reported high levels of life satisfaction in both

countries can be either due to adaptation or to a true assessment of ‘valuables’ in life

The higher reported satisfaction in the UK could be a reflection of the lower level of relative deprivation in Salford compared to the Egyptian fieldwork areas.

Level of Life Satisfaction UK Egypt No 25.8 42.5Yes 72.6 52.5Neither Yes nor No 1.6 5.0


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But ! Adaptive Preferences

Adaptive preferences refer to the “adjustment of people’s aspirations to feasible possibilities” (Elster, 1982, 219).

Comments Indicating ‘Adaptive Preferences’ in Egypt – in the UK less cases - I do not like to look at those who are better than me; I look at those worse off, so that I can survive!

- one day is good and the other one is bad, whoever accepts the least lives

- A person adapts himself to his conditions, I accept my destiny

- I have adapted myself to my conditions and accepted them

- I thank God, everything is destined.

- I am much better than other people

- God wants this. Whoever is satisfied says thank God and whoever is tired says thank God. We cannot do anything

- we go with the current

- I am willing to live with the minimum so long as I have peace of mind

- one has to be satisfied with himself

- Thank God, I am satisfied with whichever God gives us/brings


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But!

Adaptation is NOT Everything!

People HAD reasons for Dis/Satisfaction!


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Reasons for Life Satisfaction in Egypt and UK UK (Weaste &

Claremont)Egypt (MN & Menia)

Rank Reasons for Life Satisfaction

Reasons for Life Satisfaction

1 Family Income2 Job Family 3 Health / Self fulfilment Children/Relationship4 Friends/ Social life Job5 Financial Stability Good Health 6 Children/Relationship/

Housing Belief in God/Education

7 Communal Role and Hobbies

Self-fulfilment and Peace of Mind

8 Education Good Area/Physical Surrounding

9 Relationship with God/ownership of a car


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Life Satisfaction – What Matters?

In Salford, social wellbeing dimensions, such as happy family, loyal friends and having a social life were important drivers for life satisfaction compared to material dimensions, such as income, in Egypt

In the UK, jobs are more important for life satisfaction than Egypt, probably due to the nature of insecure jobs in Egypt

Surprisingly, health and education do not rank highly in Egypt

The precedence of ‘psychological/mental’ wellbeing aspects in Salford, such as self-fulfilment, compared to the dominance of the ‘spiritual’ in Egypt, e.g. Relationship with God

In Sum: in Salford social and mental wellbeing dimensions are more important compared to spiritual and material dimensions in Egypt


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Reasons for Life Dissatisfaction in Egypt and UK

Rank UK Egypt

1 Lack of Self-fulfilment Lack of income2 Job Dissatisfaction/

Broken Family Relations Family-related problems

3 Social Exclusion Social and Physical Surrounding

4 Lack of Financial Security/Health Problems

Job Dissatisfaction

5 Housing Lack of Education 6 Lack of Education Social Exclusion

7 Lack of Self-fulfilment/Health Problems


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Life Dissatisfaction – Why? Same reasons for life dissatisfaction but different

rankings: lack of jobs, lack of financial security, family-related problems, social exclusion and inadequate social and physical surroundings

In both contexts, family problems e.g. failed marriages, broken family relations etc.., are important causes for life dissatisfaction

Yet again, in Egypt, material factors, such as lack of income and inadequate physical surrounding take precedence compared to more social and mental wellbeing dimensions, such as lack of self-fulfilment and social exclusion in Salford

Surprise! Lack of education and health problems did not rank highly as reasons for life dissatisfaction in both countries

The drivers of life dissatisfaction can be different from the drivers of life satisfaction?


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Elements of a Good Life

‘Valued Capabilities’


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Elements of a Good Life – Priorities list

(most important elements only)Rank Elements of a Good Life: Priorities of Life

(Egypt)

Elements of a Good Life: Priorities of Life

(UK)1 Belief in God Family2 Income Health3 Housing Friends4 Peace of Mind/Satisfaction Children5 Jobs Safe Surrounding 6 Happy Family Jobs7 Children Income/

relationship with God/Peace of Mind/ Good Personal Traits and Self-Motivation

8 Good Health9 Good Partner

10 Education11 Safe Surrounding (local and

national)12 Social Relations/Engagement13 Good Personal Traits14 Food


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(most important elements only) Contrary to ‘conventional wisdom’ about the

‘materialistic’ North and the ‘social’ South, exactly the opposite! – income came only last in Salford but 2nd in Egypt!

Social wellbeing dimensions, such as having a family, friends and good health as main priorities in Salford – notice a pattern here?

A combination of materialistic and spiritual dimensions took precedence in Egypt as belief in God, income and housing

Contrast between the rural and the urban sites in Egypt, the former valuing family, children and peace of mind, while the latter emphasizing the importance of housing and jobs. Both value income and religion the most.


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(most important elements only) Contrast between Egypt and the UK, the former

values ‘religion’, while in the latter it ranked last – explaining rise of political Islam?

Another area of contrast is income and housing which are valued more in Egypt (2nd and 3rd), compared to UK (only ranked 7th and unranked) – relativity of deprivation?

Health was valued the most in the UK compared to 8th place in Egypt - the importance of the NHS and implications of spending cuts?

Education was not identified as a priority in either of the two countries – is the valuation of Education becoming mainly instrumental?

Safety valued more in the UK – maybe as a result of the riots? Has this valuation of safety in Egypt changed after the revolution?


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Elements of a Good Life – General list

(all stated elements of a good life)Rank Elements of a Good Life:

General list (UK)Elements of a Good Life:

General list (Egypt)1 Health/

Family/Friends

Income

2 Income Belief in God3 Self-fulfilment and Peace of Mind Jobs4 Jobs Happy Family5 Safe Surrounding Housing6 Children/

EducationSocial Relations/Self-fulfilment

7 Hobbies/Relationship with God/car ownership

Good Personal Traits

8 Children9 Good Partners/

Safe Surrounding10 Good Health/Education11 Food


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Elements of a Good Life – General list Confirming our hypothesis – it IS possible to develop

a grounded theory of wellbeing based on people’s valued capabilities

Income, family and jobs are the most valued elements of a good life in both countries – despite their diverse contexts - move from clash of civilisations to common humanity? Context matters – but how?

Another pattern – similar to life satisfaction results – in Egypt, more materialistic and spiritual elements (income, belief in God, jobs) take precedence while in the UK more social and psychological elements (family, friends, self-fulfillment) are important.

Health ranked first in the UK but only last in Egypt – adaptation?

Education ranked last in Egypt compared to 6th in UK – again confirming the instrumental importance of ‘returns from education’, e.g. job market and self-esteem


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Can We really argue for a

Grounded Value-based Theory of Wellbeing?

Yes!!!

Why?


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Add South Africa to the results…

Clark (2002)


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Elements of a Good Life – Egypt, UK and SA

Rank Elements of a Good Life General List

( Egypt)

Elements of a Good Life (Clark, 2002,

172)Elements of a Good Life:

General list (UK)1 Income Jobs Health/

Family/Friends

2 Belief in God Housing Income3 Jobs Education Self-fulfilment and Peace

of Mind4 Happy Family Income Jobs5 Housing Good Family Safe Surrounding 6 Social Relations/

Peace of Mind Living Religious/Christian Life

Children/Education

7 Good Personal Traits Good Health Hobbies/Relationship with God/car ownership

8 Children Enough Food9 Good Partner/

Safe Surroundings (Local and National)

Happiness/Joy

10 Good Health / Education

Love (each other)

11 Food Good Friends


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Elements of a Good Life – Grounded Theory of Wellbeing?

SAME elements in ALL three countries – but different rankings

In all three – AGAIN – jobs, family and income ranked the highest

Commonalities between Egypt and the UK:

Self-fulfilment, friends, valuing children, living in a safe environment

Interestingly, safety was missing from the SA list!

Commonalities between Egypt and SA:

Religious life, housing and food

Housing and food did not even appear on the UK list!

Commonalities between SA and the UK:

Health and education valued – but came last in Egypt!


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Dare to Generate a List of

‘Valued Capabilities’?

Scoring each element according to its

importance and frequency


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List of Valued Capabilities Rank Element of Good Life Score

1 Income 292 Job 283 Family 264 Belief in God 215 Friends

Self-fulfilmentHealth

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6 Education(Housing)

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7 Children(Safe Surrounding)

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8 (Food)(Good Character)(Hobbies)

5

9 Good Partner 310 Love each other 2


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Problems – Areas of

Deprivation?


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Main Problems in Egypt and the UK

Rank Main Problems (UK) Main Problems (Egypt)1 Health Income

2 Income Family/Personal Problems

3 Job Jobs

4 Family-related Social Problems

5 Worry Physical/Social Services

6 Social Exclusion and lack of social support

Housing

7 Area-related/Lack of self-fulfilment and purpose

Health

8 Lack of self-confidence Education

9 Global concerns Bad Character Traits

10 Lack of time/ National government policies

Bad Relation with Government


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Main Problems – different contexts, similar problems?

Ill-health as primary concern in the UK – despite the existence of NHS – but ignored in Egypt (triangulation and confirmation of previous results)

In both countries, financial insecurity and lack of job/job satisfaction are primary problems – the importance of employment generating policies

Social factors, especially family-related problems, play a crucial role in affecting human wellbeing in both countries

Interestingly, global concerns, e.g. environmental degradation, poverty and world peace, appeared in the ‘British list’!

Confirming previous results,

In the UK: mental and social wellbeing dimensions, such as worry, social exclusion, lack of social support are important

In Egypt: material problems, for example related to social services, such as housing, health and education are more important than others.


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Aspirations – Unfulfilled

Capabilities


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What did People wish to achieve but

couldn’t?

How Different were their unfulfilled

Aspired Capabilities?


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Failed Aspirations – Unfulfilled Capabilities?

Rank Unfulfilled Aspirations (UK)

Unfulfilled Aspirations (Egypt)

1 Job Job

2 Education Education

3 Marriage Income

4 Hobbies Marriage/Housing/

Children's Capabilities 5 Travel Social and Physical

Surrounding6 Housing Communal Role/

Hobbies7 Driving Fulfilling Religious Duties

8 Social Acceptance/Self-confidence

Travel

9 Health/ Communal role


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Failed Aspirations – Unfulfilled Capabilities

Could not have IMAGINED a better MATCH! Identical list of unfulfilled aspired capabilities:

Lack of Jobs Lack of Education Inability to get married/settle down

Similar to Previous results: In Egypt:

more materialistic aspects such as income, housing and living in safe surrounding

Spiritual aspects, such as fulfilling religious duties appear again

In the UK: ‘softer’ non-basic aspects, such as practicing one’s

hobbies, travelling and driving appear primacy of psychological and mental wellbeing

dimensions appear again, such as lack of social acceptance and lack of self-esteem


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Why is this Important?


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What are the Implications of These Results?


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Concluding Remarks

It IS possible to develop a grounded value-based theory of wellbeing given the similarities between the valued capabilities in Egypt, South Africa and the UK – despite their diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts

In the Global North, e.g. in the UK, social and mental wellbeing dimensions take precedence, while in Egypt, more materialistic and spiritual aspects are important

The drivers for life satisfaction could be different from the causes of life dissatisfaction – there might be a need for wellbeing-enhancing policies in contrast to policies that reduce life dissatisfaction or reduce poverty.


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Policy Implications and Future Research

The new methodological tool is robust and can be applied in different contexts and allows for international comparisons

Need to move from poverty to poverty and wellbeing-enhancing policies

The similarities of unfulfilled aspirations is crucial, especially given the diverse ‘levels of development’ of each country

Need for wider and broader application to allow for further comparisons


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It is indeed possible to argue for aValue-based

Grounded Understanding of Human Wellbeing


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Maybe after all, We do Value the same

Things in Life!


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Thank You


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Questions or

Comments ?

dsa 2012 conference nov 3 rd, 2012 a comparative analysis of wellbeing perceptions and aspirations...

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