1. 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 and Chronic Poverty Research Centre The University of Manchester

2. Actual and Perceived Well-being of the Poor?
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? 2 2

3. Main Argument
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 3

4. Key Questions
Why is the CA a suitable framework for assessing well-being?
How can the Values of the Poor be articulated?
What do the Poor Value? – Elements of a Good Life
Why are Social Relations important for the Poor?
Why is it difficult for the Poor to engage in Collective Action?
What does all this mean for Policymakers? 4

5. a suitable Framework for assessing Well-being?1
Why is the CA
a suitable Framework for assessing Well-being? 5 5

6. Capability Approach as Conceptual Framework for Well-being Assessment
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 6 6

7. How can the Values of the Poor
be articulated? 2 7 7

8. in each cultural and social context.
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. 8 8

9. How can the Values of the Poor be articulated?
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)

10. There is an URGENT need to build a database of the Poor’s Voices
There is an URGENT need to build a database of the Poor’s Voices! Why are these Studies – one-offs?

11. the Definition of a Capability:
The Starting Point is
the Definition of a Capability:
the various freedoms or “choices” that a person values and has reason to value 11 11

12. Exploring the Poor’s Values and Achievements
Do you value………?
Why do you value……..?
3. Have you succeeded in achieving ………..?
4. Why have/haven’t you succeeded in achieving.?
Capability
Functioning
Conversion
Factors
So, aid is down.
The question is, can aid be made more effective? 12 12

13. Exploring Different Well-being Dimensions
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 13 13

14. Applying the New Methodology:
Egypt as Case Study
Two Fieldwork Sites:
Manshiet Nasser: Poorest Urban Slum in Cairo
Menia: Rural Villages in Upper Egypt
Sampling:
Stratified Random Sampling: Age and Gender
Snowballing 14 14

15. 3
What do the Poor Value?
Elements of a Good Life 15 15

16. Elements of a Good Life 23.8 Belief in God 15.0 Income 10.0 Housing
Peace of Mind/Satisfaction
8.8
Jobs
7.5
Family
Children
6.3
Health
3.8
Partner
Education
Safe Surrounding (local and national)
Social Relations/Engagement
2.5
Personal Traits
Food
1.3
Total
100.0 16 16

17. Do the Poor’s Perceptions of across Regions and Societies?
Well-being differ
across Regions and Societies? 17 17

18. Elements of a Good Life: Rural vs. Urban
Manshiet Nasser
(urban slum)
Menia
(rural villages)
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 18 18

19. Elements of a Good Life: Egypt vs. South Africa
(My General list)
(Clark, 2002, 172)
1. Income
1. Jobs
2. Belief in God
2. Housing
3. Jobs
3. Education
4. Happy Family
4. Income
5. Housing
5. Good Family
6. Social Relations/ Peace of Mind/Satisfaction
6. Living a religious/Christian life 19 19

20. Why are Social Relations important for the Poor?4
Why are Social Relations important for the Poor? 20 20

21. Valuing Social Relations
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.

22. Valuing Social Relations
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.

23. Why is difficult for the Poor to engage in Collective Action?5
Why is difficult for the Poor to engage in Collective Action? 23 23

24. 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!’

25. 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’

26. Reasons for Limited Collective Action
Lack of Awareness
Lack of Funds
‘Unable to Appear in Public without Shame’
Husband’s Refusal

27. 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’

28. What does all this mean for Policymakers?6
What does all this mean for Policymakers? 28 28

29. However, how is this possible in practice?
Policymakers need to:
Prioritize the elements of a good life that the poor value,
Design policies that help the poor tap on social relations,
Encourage the poor to undertake acts of collective action.
However, how is this possible in practice? 29 29

30. Policy Implications
Do not assume that we know ‘what the poor value or want’
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!
Do not only undertake philosophical or empirical explorations of well-being, these explorations should be grounded and based on the ‘voices of the poor’.
Do not reject the capability approach, it can be a wider and more comprehensive framework for well-being assessment.
Do not exclude ‘qualitative’ methods just because they are more difficult to implement, but rather build up new ‘qualitative’ databases.

31. Policy Implications
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.

32. Policy Implications
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.

33. Conclusion Need to Learn to ‘Listen’ to the Voices of the Poor, ‘Respect’ what They value and ‘Build on’ their Human Agency

34. Thank You

35. Questions or Comments ?