links to David M Howie BSc BA (Hons) PPE (open)
Introduction
In the previous blog post - Keep disabled people as decision-makers - I introduced the “Societal Triangle.” To my knowledge, the Societal Triangle is an original, therefore when it becomes a social norm, I want this post cited. In this post, I will develop the Societal Triangle in more detail and introduce the theories which lay the foundations. As I stated in the other blog post, the Societal Triangle is an adaptation of project management “Iron triangle” see project management institute (PMI) for more details. The Iron Triangle, in its simplest definition, the Iron Triangle is a method for ensuring a successful project.
The argument presented in this blog is the “Societal Triangle” can ensure a successful “long-run” – an economic term for an extended time – success. To provide the reader with an in-depth understanding of the Societal Triangle, in the section Societal Triangle. I give a detail definition of what the Societal Triangle is and how it links to the social ties of communities. Note I believe the Societal Triangle can work for any society. Not just communities where I have taken examples.
Societal Triangle
The previous blog post introduced the Societal Triangle, hereafter ST, as having three components, “Professional Identity”, “Social Norms” and “Legislation.” See figure 1.
Figure 1 highlights “The Self” or the individual citizen’s wellbeing is dependent on the three components of the triangle. In the subsection which follows, I provide the reader with a detailed understanding of each element of the triangle. To keep the definitions clear and accessible for the reader, I will only use published books and websites.
Professional Identity
What I suggest Professional Identity is, is what Jennifer A Moon in her book “Reflection in learning & Professional Development” would call professional development. Professional development is essential for Professional Identity development within a career concept. However, My argument is professional identity also has a dependence on lived experiences. Lived experiences I will argue throughout this blog are shaped by Social Norms which loosely govern the interactions of the society in which individual citizens live. For example, two people “Sam” and “John”. Sam is a care worker, paid a Scottish living wage from Glasgow city council. Sam works a nine-five most weeks, but requirements can result in some night and weekend work. John, on the other hand, is an unpaid carer for his husband, Tam. John and Tam live on a remote island in the outer Hebrides. While John and Tam love their local area, the locality makes receiving assistance from a paid carer hard. Therefore John is required to provide full-time care to TAM, which means John cannot work. I ask the reader, of the two men, who do you think has the healthier Professional Identity and therefore, wellbeing?
Social Norms
I suggest to the reader that Sam has a perceived higher professional identity than John. I argue this point from a societal subjective position. Sam is providing an economic benefit to society. Sam is providing a service and is getting paid for his services. Perhaps more importantly, due to COVID-19, Sam has been seen by the community. Abhijit A Banerjee and Esther Duflo winners of the Nobel prize put it like this
People’s sense of self-worth is related to their position in the group they see themselves as part of
(Banerjee & Duflo p. 256)
Based on Banerjee & Duflo’s intervention, I suggest to the reader that Sam has an increase in self-worth, which increases the size of the societal triangle. See figure 2 below.
I will now highlight to the reader how social norms increased Sam’s self-worth, which increased his professional identity. At the start of COVID-19 frontline workers, mostly NHS staff received admiration for there work. This thinking has been a social norm since march. Between March 2020 and September 2020, the social norms which put NHS staff on a pedestal increased in scope to include paid care workers. So there is no ambiguity the point am arguing is Sam’s wellbeing or “The Self” has increased because Sam’s self-worth has improved his professional identity. However, professional identity is dependent on the social norms of society.
Additionally, this post has to address the fact that Banerjee & Duflo suggest there is a “group think” (typically perceived negatively) to this scenario. My understanding of what Banerjee & Duflo are offering my argument is not only SAM’s self-worth improved. All paid care workers self-worth has improved.
Legislation
I argued in this post and will persistently say in this blog that social norms have a direct influence on professional identity. However, it is now a requirement of this post to show legislation and legitimacy shape social customs. Firstly let us look once again at Sam’s improved self-worth. Sam received his improved self-worth because the government introduced legislation (not written) which put paid care workers on the same pedestal as NHS staff. That legislation, I argue, provided a social norm, which improved Sam’s professional identity. An important note, however, legislation alone cannot bring about social norms. Public opinion which gives legitimacy to legislation is what brings about social norms. With the situation, society finds herself in with regards to COVID-19, no citizen is likely to suggest Sam should not be on a pedestal alongside NHS staff. COVID-19 has allowed the government to introduce legislation where public money flows into private care homes. There is a legitimate cause for the flow of available public funds into commercial care homes. Why though is there no legitimacy for public funds flowing into private dwellings such as John’s? I’ll pick this up in the discussion section. To finish this subsection, I want to show the societal triangle works across international boundaries.
The societal triangle is not universal. It is local, and it is place dependent. The societal triangle can help governments govern more successfully. It cannot make them do so, and it will not make an area (community) more ethical. I highlight this as a word of warning because what am about to say next may shock a few readers. In developing countries such as India and Bangladesh, access to credit is hard to come by. For single women, it is even more challenging. Single women that are first-time borrowers are required by customs to be accompanied to the bank or money lender by a male counterpart. It is also a social norm, or at least no laws a broken, when social norms force single women, to provide sexual favours to receive cash loans*.
I highlight the situation with cash flow to women in India and Bangladesh as a method for showing the societal triangle working in reverse. Figure 3 below shows how the self-worth of a single woman can reduce due to social norms and legislation (based on my theory).
In theory and reality, the professional identity of a single woman in India and Bangladesh is already lower than married women, given that the social norm is for women to be married. Single women who have already seen their Human rights violated – been forced to provide sexual activities to receive a loan from male non-family members. Single women in India and Bangladesh have the added anxiety of known that defaulting on the loan carries the same stigma as prostitution. The point am making is the professional identity/wellbeing of single women in India, and Bangladesh is already low. Social norms and stigma reduce wellbeing further. I have no, law background, I am, however, sure India and Bangladesh have ratified the UN Convention on Human rights. Therefore, what am suggesting is the governments in India, and Bangladesh is failing to uphold their legal requirements to protect citizens under the terms of the “social contract”. Even though legislation requires said governments to do so.
Discussion
The question I want to ask the reader is. Is there a possibility that the Scottish government has failed to uphold their social contract obligations when it comes to citizens such as John and Tam? Before commencing that discussion, I want to provide the reader with a definition of ‘social contract.’ Plato. Stanford defines the social contract as:
A theory which shows that members of society have reason to endorse and comply with the fundamental social rules, laws, institutions, and principles of that society.[However, governments have a legal responsibility to uphold social rules, regulations, institutions, and principles of that society]
My argument is that Governments in India and Bangladesh failed to enforce the social contract. Therefore, the self-worth of single women and single women as a group in these countries reduced. The discussion I want to have with the readers in the comments below. Has the Scottish government overlooked unpaid carers and people who receive care, in their home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic? I could continue this post. However, I am over my word count (self-imposed by 500). Therefore I would like to hear from the reader.
With regards to John and Tam, I could argue that they are “prisoners of geography.” However, that is a post for another day.
What is next?
After Richard Wilkinson’s keynote speech tomorrow, I am going to try and answer the question. Why do academics write books?
*With regards to the references for India and Bangladesh, I would recommend reading
Good economics for hard times (Banerjee & Duflo, 2019)
Muhammad Yunus, saint or sinner (Melik, 2015)
Social Entrepreneurship: what everyone needs to know (Bornstein and Davis, 2010)
<back next> Why do academics write books?
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