Well-Being, Justice and Power in the Lives of Immigrants

Isaac PrilleltenskyIsaac PrilleltenskyUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Miamiisaacp@miami.eduisaacp@miami.edu

http://www.education.miami.edu/isaac

Migrants Today

100 million of international migrants First quarter of 2005: 81,900 asylum applications

to UNHCR Dominant movement of asylum seekers is from

eastern Europe and former Soviet Union into Western Europe and North America

“The social injustice experienced by civilians who eventually become refugees, internally displaced person….has often had a direct impact on their health status” (Michael Toole, 2006, p. 190).

The Social Ecology of Well BeingStokols’ view

“The healthfulness of a situation and the well-being of its participants are assumed to be influenced by multiple facets of both the physical environment (e.g., geography, architecture, and technology) and the social environment (e.g., culture, economics, and politics). Moreover, the health status of individuals and groups is influenced not only by environmental factors but also by a variety of personal attributes, including genetic heritage, psychological dispositions, and behavioral patterns.”

Stokols continues…..

“Thus, efforts to promote human well-being should be based on an understanding of the dynamic interplay among diverse environmental and personal factors rather than on analyses that focus exclusively on environmental, biological, or behavioral factors. (Stokols, 2000, p. 27)”

Seligman’s Authentic Happiness (2002, pp. 61) “If you want to lastingly raise your level of

happiness by changing the external circumstances of your life, you should do the following: Live in a wealthy democracy, not in an

impoverished dictatorship Get married Avoid negative events and negative emotion Acquire a rich social network Get religion”

Seligman’s Authentic Happiness (2002, pp. 61) “As far as happiness and life satisfaction are

concerned, however, you needn’t bother to do the following Make more money Stay healthy Get as much education as possible (no effect) Change your race or move to a sunnier climate (no

effect)”

Seligman concludes….

“Even if you could alter all of these external circumstances, it would not do much for you, since together they probably account for no more than between 8 and 15 percent of the variance in happiness” (Authentic Happiness, 2002, p. 61).

Really?

Is happiness really an inherited phenomenon? Lykken and Tellegen (1996, Psychological Science). In the Minnesota twins study, authors report, “Neither socioeconomic status, educational

attainment, family income, marital status, not an indicant of religious commitment could account for more than about 3% of the variance in WB” (in monozygotic twins)

“We estimate that the heritability of the stable component of subjective well-being approaches 80%”

Let’s examine opposing evidence…….

Change in life satisfaction over the years(Inglehart, 2004)

Russia’s happiness and satisfaction plunges

Place Matters

Place and class in infant mortality

Income Matters for Well-Being

Wealth matters for life expectancy

Income is not everything though

Education Matters

Relative deprivation matters in Sweden

Relative deprivation matters in UK

Inequality and male mortality

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

GINI 24.5 GINI 31.5 GINI 35.5 GINI 40

Sweden and Japan

Canada and France

UK

USA

Chinese happiness and democracy

Lessons for Well-Being

Subjective well-being goes up and down depending on social circumstances (Russia, Belgium, Switzerland)

It is highly unlikely that gene pool of countries varies in a few years

Absolute poverty predicts low levels of physical and mental well-being, within and across countries (Kleinman, Eisenberg, etc.)

Lessons for Well-Being

Absolute poverty predicts low levels of physical and mental well-being, within and across countries (Kleinman, Eisenberg, etc.)

Relative deprivation predicts social gradient in physical and mental well-being within countries (Marmot, Wilkinson)

Freedom is important in subjective well-being, but there are exceptions like China

Wealth does not necessarily lead to a happy or meaningful life (Adams, Cushman, Sloan, Ryan)

What is Well-Being?

Well-being is a positive state of affairs in individuals, relationships, organizations, communities, and the natural environment, brought about by the simultaneous and balanced satisfaction of material and psychological needs; and by the behavioral manifestation of material and psychological justice in these five ecological domains.

Well-Being in the Lives of Migrants: Protective Factors

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Environmental healthEmploymentJusticeSafety netsMulticulturalismQuality education

Child careAdequate housingCohesion and supportAccess to health careLanguage preparation

Good parentingMutual SupportGood mental health

Psychological preparationPhysical healthMigration by choiceFriendshipsLanguage knowledge

Well-Being in the Lives of Migrants: Risk Factors

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

PovertyToxins Air qualityForced migrationInjusticeExclusionDiscrimination

Acculturation stressLoss of social networkMarginalityBigotryIatrogenic morbidityRole strainUnemployment and Underemployment

Absence of familyFamily expectationsMarital conflictIsolationIntergenerational

conflict

Loss and griefGuilt and shameStatus inconsistencyLife change eventsHomesicknessPTSD

Ecological, Material, Psychological, Axiological Model of Well-Being

Sites of Well-Being

Individual Relational Organizational Communal Environmental

Material/

physical signs

health networks resources social capital

low emissions

Psychological signs

efficacy voice support belonging safety

Values as source and strategy

autonomy caring participation diversity protection of resources

Justice as source and strategy

My due Your due

Its due Their due

Nature’s due

Model of Migrant Well-Being:Some positive and negative factors

Sites of Well-Being

Individual Relational Organizational Communal Environmental

Material/

physical signs

+health

- illness

+networks

-isolation

+resources

- lack of resources

-social capital

-lack of trust

+clean air

-pollution

Psychological signs

+efficacy

-lack of control

+voice

-repression

+support

-isolation

+belonging

-rejection

+safety

-fear

Values as source and strategy

+autonomy

-lack of power

+caring

-neglect

+participation

-marginality

+diversity

-discrimination

+protection of resources

-depletion of resources

Justice as source and strategy

My due Your due Its due Their due Nature’s due

Martha Nussbaum

“ In this increasingly interdependent world, we need to consider issues of justice raised by inequalities between rich and poor nations that affect the life chances of their citizens” (2006, p. 18)

The issue involves a “serious asymmetry of power and capacity” between one national group and “some dominant group” (2006, p. 22)

What Is Justice?

General well-being depends on justice Migrant well-being depends on justice Individual, relational, organizational, communal

and environmental well-being depend on justice An understanding of justice is crucial Dominant definition of justice is

To Each According to His or Her Due

Sedgwick’s definition in 1922

Cardinal question of justice is whether there are

“any clear principles from which we may work out an ideally just distribution of rights and privileges, burdens and pains, among human beings as such” (p. 274).

Miller’s 1999 condensed version

To each his or her due Isaac’s four questions

First Question: Who Or What Is Each? Second Question: How Do We Decide What Is

Due A Person, Family, Or Group? Third Question: Who or What is Responsible

for Distributing Resources and Obligations? Fourth Question: How Do We Decide what is

Due From a Person, Family, Group, or Institution?

First Question: Who Or What Is Each?

Dominant ideology Individual

Alternative ideology IndividualFamilyCommunity GovernmentEnvironmentAnimals

Second Question: How Do We Decide What Is Due A

Person, Family, Or Group?

Dominant ideologyAbilityEffort

Alternative ideologyAbilityEffortNeedsRightsOpportunitiesPower

Third Question: Who or What is Responsible for

Distributing Resources and Obligations?

Dominant ideology Individual

employer, Government, with

little popular participation, and great influence from power players

Alternative ideology IndividualFamilyCommunity Participatory

mechanisms to influence government

Fourth Question: How Do We Decide what is Due

From a Person, Family, Group, or Institution?

Dominant ideology

Needs Ability Charity

Alternative ideology

needs, ability, obligation, duties, opportunity and privilege.

Revised Definition

To each (individual, family, community, government, animals and environment) according to their needs, ability, effort, opportunities, rights and power, and

From each (individual, family, community, or government) according to their needs, ability, obligation, duties, opportunity and privilege.

The role of context

context should determine what criterion or criteria must be preferred in each case

In social conditions of inequality, we must accord preference to needs over ability

Under conditions of relative equality, where the gap between classes is not very pronounced, it is possible to favor effort over needs.

Context of Plenty of Opportunities

In a context of plenty of opportunities for everyone, it is possible that ability and effort will be the preferred choice.

Justice Out of Context

Societies aspiring to justice must seek equilibrium among all criteria

When context of inequality calls for need and equality, but culture favors effort, it’s because privileged groups benefit.

As a result, group interests that influence the choice of allocation pattern often disregard the context-specific situation.

Well-Being Justice

Well-Being is enhanced by

Justice is enhanced, and contributes to well-being, by the power, capacity, and opportunity to

Self-determination Experience voice and choice, participate in decision making

Caring and compassion

Experience nurturing relationships free of abuse

Equality and freedom

Benefit from fair and equitable distribution of resources and burdens

Experiences of Poor Migrants:Injustice Leads to Suffering

Material deprivation Exclusion Insecurity

Humiliation Sickness Helplessness Powerlessness

The Role of Power in Justice and Well-Being Power is an essential component of justice and

well-being Power is an essential component of the context in

immigrants’ lives Experiences of powerlessness Experiences of exclusion and marginalization Experiences of economic insecurity

Power should be taken into account when analyzing and partnering with immigrants to promote their well-being

The Concept of Psychopolitical Validity can help to incorporate power in practice Psychopolitical validity derives from the

consideration of power dynamics in psychological and political domains of health.

The main objective of psychopolitical validity is to infuse in community psychology an awareness of the role of power in wellness, oppression, and liberation at the personal, relational, and collective domains.

Psychopolitical validity

In order to attain psychopolitical validity, investigations and interventions would have to meet certain criteria. These criteria have to do with the extent to which research and action incorporate lessons about psychological and political power.

Psychopolitical Validity I: Epistemic

This type of validity is achieved by the systematic account of the role of power in political and psychological dynamics affecting phenomena of interest

Such account needs to consider the role of power in the psychology and politics of wellness, oppression and liberation, at the personal, relational, and collective domains.

Table 1Guidelines for Epistemic Psychopolitical Validity in Community Psychology

Concerns Domains

Collective Relational Personal

Wellness Accounts for role of political and economic power in economic prosperity and in creation of institutions that promote equality and public health

Studies the role of power in creating and sustaining egalitarian relationships, social cohesion, social support, respect for diversity and democratic participation in communities, groups, and families

Studies role of psychological and political power in achieving self-determination, empowerment, health, personal growth, meaning and spirituality

Oppression Explores role of globalization, colonization and exploitation in illness and suffering of nations and communities

Examines the role of political and psychological power in exclusion and discrimination based on class, gender, age, race, education and ability.Studies conditions leading to lack of support, horizontal violence and fragmentation within oppressed groups

Studies role of powerlessness in learned helplessness, hopelessness, self-deprecation, internalized oppression, shame, physical and mental health problems and addictions

Liberation Deconstructs ideological norms that lead to acquiescence and studies effective psychopolitical factors in resistance to norms that cause illness

Studies acts of solidarity and compassion with others who suffer from oppression and illness

Examines sources of health, strength, resilience, solidarity and development of activism and leadership

Psychopolitical Validity II: Transformational Transformational validity derives from the

potential of our actions to promote personal, relational, and collective wellness by reducing power inequalities and increasing political action

Table 2Guidelines for Transformational Psychopolitical Validity

Concerns Domains

Collective Relational Personal

Well-being Contributes to institutions that support health, emancipation, human development, peace, protection of environment, and social justice

Contributes to power equalization in relationships and communities. Enriches awareness of subjective and psychological forces preventing solidarity. Builds trust, connection and participation in groups that support social cohesion, health and social justice

Supports personal empowerment, health, sociopolitical development, leadership training and solidarity. Contributes to personal and social responsibility and awareness of subjective forces preventing commitment to justice and personal depowerment when in position of privilege

Oppression Opposes economic colonialism and denial of cultural rights. Decries and resists role of own reference group or nation in oppression of others and deterioration of health in other groups

Contributes to struggle against in-group and out-group domination and discrimination, sexism and norms of violence. Builds awareness of own prejudice and participation in horizontal violence

Helps to prevent acting out of own oppression on others. Builds awareness of internalized oppression and role of dominant ideology in victim-blaming. Contributes to personal depowerment of people in position of privilege

Liberation Supports networks of resistance and social change movements that pursue health and wellness. Contributes to structural depowerment of privileged people

Supports resistance against objectification of others. Develops processes of mutual accountability

Helps to resists complacency and collusion with exploitative and illness producing system. Contributes to struggle to recover personal health and political identity

There are many ways to advance the transformative impulse Creating awareness among colleagues about

how power differentials get enacted in interactions with immigrants seeking health related advice

Forming research and action groups in the workplace to explore how practices may be more empowering of immigrants

There are many ways to advance the transformative impulse Increasing political literacy of immigrants to

empower them to scrutinize the practices of health and helping professionals

Establishing practices that enable participation of immigrants in management of human services

Promoting Migrant Well-Being: From DRAIN to SPECFrom Deficits-based Reactive Arrogance Individual blame

To Strengths-based Primary Prevention Empowerment Community Change

Strategies: Time and Place

Collective

Individual

Reactive ProactiveX

9/7/1854…Removing the Handle

Big wake up call!!!

No mass disorder, afflicting humankind, has ever been eliminated, or brought under control, by treating the affected individual

HIV/AIDS, poverty, child abuse, powerlessness are not eliminated one person at a time.

It’s like Venice…..

Venice’s Lesson

“The psychotherapist, social worker or social reformer, concerned only with his own clients and their grievance against society, perhaps takes a view comparable to the private citizen of Venice who concerns himself only with the safety of his own dwelling and his own ability to get about the city. But if the entire republic is slowly being submerged, individual citizens cannot afford to ignore their collective fate, because, in the end, they all drown together if nothing is done” (Badcock, 1982)

Quadrant III

Examples:Crisis work, therapy, medications, symptom containment, case management

Quadrant I

Examples:Community development, inclusive policies, multiculturalism, high quality schools and health services for migrants

Quadrant II

Examples:Skill building, emotional literacy, language programs, fitness programs, personal improvement plans, work through identity issues

Quadrant IV

Examples:Food banks, shelters for homeless people, charities, prison industrial complex

Collective

Proactive

Individual

Reactive

Strategies: Time and Place

Strategies: Abilities and Participation

Strengths

Deficits

Detachment EmpowermentX

The

Grameen Bank

Quadrant IExamples:Voice and choice in celebrating and building competencies, recognition of personal and collective resilience of migrants

Quadrant IIExamples:Voice and choice in deficit reduction approaches, participation in decisions how to treat affective disorders or physical disorders

Strength

Empowerment

Deficit

Detachment

Strategies: Ability and Participation

Quadrant IIIExamples:Labeling and diagnosis, “patienthood” and clienthood,” citizens in passive role

Quadrant IVExamples:Just say no! You can do it! Cheerleading approaches, Make nice approaches

Nussbaum’s Principles for the Global Structure Nations have responsibility to their citizens National sovereignty should be respected, within

the constraints of promoting human capabilities Prosperous nations have a responsibility to give a

substantial portion of their GDPs to poorer nations

Multinational corporations have responsibilities for promoting human capabilities in the regions in which they operate

Nussbaum’s Principles for the Global Structure The main structures of the global economic order

must be designed to be fair to poor and developing countries

We should cultivate a forceful global sphere All institutions and most individuals should focus

on the problems of the disadvantaged in each nation and region

Care for the ill, the elderly, children, and the disabled should be a prominent focus of the world community

Nussbaum’s Principles for the Global Structure The family should be

treated as a sphere that is precious but not private

All institutions and individuals have a responsibility to support education, as key to the empowerment of currently disadvantaged people.