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Country: Pakistan Population: 177 million Per Capita Income: $2581 Poverty rate: Last WB figures

How poverty triggers shame; lessons from four districts in Pakistan Research Sites: 2 Urban developed districts (Islamabad & Lahore) 2 Rural developing districts ( Muzafargarh & Bahawalpur) Sample size: 48 Research Method: Semi Structured Interviews Researcher:

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Country: Pakistan Population: 177 million Per Capita Income: $2581 Poverty rate: Last WB figures

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  1. How poverty triggers shame; lessons from four districts in Pakistan • Research Sites: • 2 Urban developed districts • (Islamabad & Lahore) • 2 Rural developing districts • (Muzafargarh & Bahawalpur) • Sample size: 48 • Research Method: • Semi Structured Interviews • Researcher: • Sohail Choudhry • University of Oxford Country: Pakistan Population: 177 million Per Capita Income: $2581 Poverty rate: Last WB figures (at $1.25 in 2006): 22.6 % Now estimated at: 37%

  2. Structure of presentation • Material inadequacies and people’s response • Psychosocial inadequacies and people’s response • Inadequacy of responses • Resultant shame and its exposure • Selective participation and its advantages • General withdrawal and its disadvantages

  3. Povertyandmaterialinadequacies

  4. Common responses to material inadequacies • Prioritising expenses • Saving in advance • Borrowing from family, friends and employers • Looking for free opportunities for recreation • Through religious / other charities

  5. Povertyand Psychosocialinadequacies

  6. Common responses to psychosocial inadequacies • Self-Esteem / dignity • Stay Happy • Pride (often in work) • Religion / faith • Pretence • Aspirations • Interaction amongst family & friends

  7. Responses to inadequacies Material Psychosocial Self-Esteem / dignity Stay Happy Pride (often in work) Religion / faith Pretence Aspirations Interaction amongst family & friends • Prioritising expenses • Saving in advance • Borrowing from family, friends and employers • Looking for free opportunities for recreation • Through religious / other charities

  8. Connections between charity and dignity

  9. Structural shame Structural • Welfare Assistance largely recommended by MPs. • Stigma associated with Zakat • ‘Nationalisation’ of Zakat • Minority Electorates • Political Instability Procedural • Excessive Paper work (57 percent literacy in 2009) • Errors of exclusion • Corruption & Bribes Excesses of Officials: ‘Nobody considers anything of the poor….you know police guys will arrest a poor man for no reason. They will take him away slapping on his face ’ AM32C

  10. Shame & selective exposure: • Exposure of shame is painful • But is unavoidable for the low-income • Selective exposure before a ‘few’ to avoid shame before the ‘rest’. The ‘few’ may include: • Parents & family • Old / trusted friends • Government (for social assistance) • Employers • Lucrative connections (political, administrative & financial) ‘’We have to say ‘yes’ to those we have an interest with....we throw down our pride before them. We know this will save us from hunger’. (AM33M)

  11. Social Capital and its benefits Bonding: ‘Back in villages, people do help in times of need’. (AF02M) Bridging: ‘I pursued my (cash assistance) case for three years; nothing happened. Then I approached a kind lady, whose husband was a senior government officer. He had my case resolved within an hour’. (AF01M) Benefits: • Sense of security • A favourable balance between shame and dignity • Guard against exploitation • Help in jobs, careers, welfare matters.

  12. Shame and Wider Participation With Higher income groups Personal Interaction Social Occasions Within their own income groups Personal InteractionSocial Occasions ‘Those with money do not interact with us….the way we interact amongst ourselves is on the street. It’s not like we are throwing parties. We meet and greet, we ask how you are doing, and we think it is okay. That’s what we need’. AM36M

  13. Thank you ‘the thing is, one has to bow a little. One has to, you know. You have to lower your gaze a little. You don’t need to do it; it lowers itself, when you ask for a favour. You cannot do but to remain a little humble’.(AM 36MM)

  14. Acknowledgements • Chief Minister Secretariat, Government of the Punjab, Pakistan • Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Islamabad • Chief Commissioner Islamabad • DCOs, Lahore, Bahawalpur and Muzafargarh • Photo 1: AP Photo/AnjumNaveed • Photo 2: Jazba East Blog Website • Photo 3: Katie Falkenberg; The Washington Times • Photo 4: Forgotten Diaries organisation website • Photo 5: Hitmasty website

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