Adaptive preferences Adaptive preferences and social self-exclusion and social self-exclusion

as emotive failure:as emotive failure:

Its reeducation through Its reeducation through narrativenarrative

Helena ModzelewskiHelena Modzelewski

Social exclusion = loss of human Social exclusion = loss of human capitalcapital

Political literacy at school (teachers)Political literacy at school (teachers)

at home (parents as at home (parents as first moral models)first moral models)

Within his Within his capability capability approachapproach, Amartya Sen , Amartya Sen (1999) defines poverty (1999) defines poverty as a combination of as a combination of factors (inadequate factors (inadequate health care, the inability health care, the inability to provide a stimulating to provide a stimulating learning environment in learning environment in the home, chronic the home, chronic exposure to violence, exposure to violence, and poor parental and poor parental mental health) where mental health) where income is only one of income is only one of them and certainly not them and certainly not the most important one.the most important one.

Adaptive preferencesAdaptive preferences

The Fox and the GrapesThe Fox and the Grapes Self-exclusion based on a self-stereotypeSelf-exclusion based on a self-stereotype Emotive failure caused by frustrationEmotive failure caused by frustration Narrative processNarrative process

Narrative to the testNarrative to the test Daytime Activity Daytime Activity

Centre for Women Centre for Women and Childrenand Children

Narrative WorkshopNarrative Workshop Help these women Help these women

retell their own retell their own stories so that they stories so that they can transmit a more can transmit a more hopeful future to hopeful future to their childrentheir children

Support to this experienceSupport to this experience Universidad de la República: Universidad de la República:

interdisciplinary research group interdisciplinary research group Justice, Justice, Recognition and DemocracyRecognition and Democracy, devoted to the , devoted to the development of criteria leading to the development of criteria leading to the consolidation of egalitarian and democratic consolidation of egalitarian and democratic societies.societies.

Global Doing Democracy Research ProjectGlobal Doing Democracy Research Project, , co-founded by Paul Carr (Youngstown State co-founded by Paul Carr (Youngstown State University, USA) and David Zyngier (Monash University, USA) and David Zyngier (Monash University, Australia), aiming at University, Australia), aiming at the the development of research in relation to development of research in relation to democracy in education.democracy in education.

In Montevideo, capital In Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, hundreds of Uruguay, hundreds of homeless people of homeless people depend on night depend on night shelters provided by shelters provided by the State.the State.

Concerned with this Concerned with this problem, the Ministry problem, the Ministry of Social Development of Social Development in 2006 called for NGOs in 2006 called for NGOs to compete for funds to to compete for funds to develop projects develop projects aiming at different aiming at different solutions.solutions.

N.G.O. N.G.O. Centro para el Desarrollo de Centro para el Desarrollo de Intervenciones y Estudios Intervenciones y Estudios SocioculturalesSocioculturales (“Centre for the (“Centre for the Development of Sociocultural Studies Development of Sociocultural Studies and Policies”), applied and was and Policies”), applied and was granted funds for a Daytime Activity granted funds for a Daytime Activity Centre for homeless single women Centre for homeless single women with children.with children.

Characteristics of the Daytime Characteristics of the Daytime Activity CentreActivity Centre

Opened in January 2007Opened in January 2007 Works for 365 days a year from 9 Works for 365 days a year from 9

a.m. to 6 p.m.a.m. to 6 p.m. Has the capacity for sixty people Has the capacity for sixty people

(women and children)(women and children) Results: 60% of the total number of Results: 60% of the total number of

guests since 2007 have chosen to guests since 2007 have chosen to look for steady jobslook for steady jobs

Why women?Why women? An great number of women in the world lack the An great number of women in the world lack the

necessary social, affective and economic support necessary social, affective and economic support in order to carry out the fundamental functions of in order to carry out the fundamental functions of a human life. a human life.

However, women are a substantial factor when it However, women are a substantial factor when it comes to reducing poverty: they are the ones in comes to reducing poverty: they are the ones in charge of the children, the model for future charge of the children, the model for future citizens, usually the ones who manage the citizens, usually the ones who manage the economic resources of the family. Some social economic resources of the family. Some social policies focusing on women have resulted in a policies focusing on women have resulted in a better quality of life of whole families and better quality of life of whole families and decreasing infant mortality rates.decreasing infant mortality rates.

Example: Indian State of Kerala (Sen 1999)Example: Indian State of Kerala (Sen 1999)

Sleeping with the enemy: Sleeping with the enemy: adaptive preferencesadaptive preferences

Many existing preferences Many existing preferences are no good references; are no good references; their genesis is mixed with their genesis is mixed with circumstances outside the circumstances outside the subjects’ controlsubjects’ control

PPersistent frustration of ersistent frustration of expectations shapes expectations shapes preferences; the subjects preferences; the subjects irrationally desire some irrationally desire some circumstances in their lives, circumstances in their lives, and reject opportunities to and reject opportunities to change.change.

Challenge: discovering Challenge: discovering “true “true preferences”preferences” (Harsanyi (Harsanyi 1982)1982)

The narrative methodThe narrative method Nussbaum (2005) considers emotions as Nussbaum (2005) considers emotions as

“intelligent responses to the perception of “intelligent responses to the perception of value”.value”.

Emotions are Emotions are aboutabout something, they have something, they have an intentional object, and a narrative an intentional object, and a narrative structure.structure.

To To understandunderstand emotional failure, it is emotional failure, it is necessary to reconstruct personal stories necessary to reconstruct personal stories (Nussbaum 2005).(Nussbaum 2005).

To To revertrevert emotional failure it is necessary emotional failure it is necessary to re-tell personal stories (Burstin & to re-tell personal stories (Burstin & Modzelewski 2009)Modzelewski 2009)

The case studyThe case study

Group work at the Daytime Activity Group work at the Daytime Activity Centre.Centre.

Introduction of Introduction of cognitive dissonance cognitive dissonance (Festinger 1966) through data, sharing (Festinger 1966) through data, sharing of experiences and discussion.of experiences and discussion.

Narrative workshop: the participants Narrative workshop: the participants have the chance to re-tell their stories have the chance to re-tell their stories and discover and re-discover and discover and re-discover relationships and capabilities they relationships and capabilities they assumed lost.assumed lost.

ConclusionsConclusions

Narratives heal emotive failure that Narratives heal emotive failure that leads to adaptive preferences, and leads to adaptive preferences, and disrupt the self-stereotype that makes disrupt the self-stereotype that makes these people behave accordingly. these people behave accordingly. Narratives make people see themselves Narratives make people see themselves in a different, new way, thus showing in a different, new way, thus showing alternative courses of action, re-alternative courses of action, re-opening the possibilities of the subject opening the possibilities of the subject to find their own way out from a to find their own way out from a situation that would be hardly situation that would be hardly “preferable”.“preferable”.

The results of this project have The results of this project have shown:shown:

It is possible, from the area of education, to It is possible, from the area of education, to pull down the self-stereotypes that keep pull down the self-stereotypes that keep many people self-marginalized from society many people self-marginalized from society

It is never too late, because this process can It is never too late, because this process can be carried out in grown-ups be carried out in grown-ups

Autonomy is not acquired on one’s own, but Autonomy is not acquired on one’s own, but within a group and with the guidance of within a group and with the guidance of trained staff prepared to introduce cognitive trained staff prepared to introduce cognitive dissonance in these people’s lives, in order dissonance in these people’s lives, in order to make them open to critical thinking, to make them open to critical thinking, giving them the chance to take control of giving them the chance to take control of their own lives and start developing or using their own lives and start developing or using basic capabilities. basic capabilities.