The escalators image
A presentation to accompany
a reflection or a workshop
based on the escalators metaphor
1
About social inequalities
Before escalators, ladders
2
Budgets and their impact on the ladder
Where are priorities headed?
By examining
public budgets,
we were able
to observe
the impact of budgets
on the ladder.
Some measures
which improved
the situation
of the wealthiest or
of the middle class
took priority over
measures improving
the situation of
people whose
essential
human needs
were not being met.
Why?
Source : Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté
[Translation : NCCHPP]
3
Legislation for a poverty-free Quebec
Where are priorities headed?
In December 2002,
the unanimous
adoption by the
National Assembly of
the Act to Combat
Poverty and Social
Exclusion mandated
that the incomes and
living conditions of
all persons living in
poverty be
improved. The
citizens’ movement
has been closely
following this.
4
Knowledge forum about essential needs
(Carrefour de savoirs sur les besoins essentiels)
The escalators
5
A few years later
The system’s inconsistencies
The metaphor applies to many situations. Often programs and
local projects are meant to help people and communities to move
up the steps.
Meanwhile, policies, decisions or public budgets send
a contradictory message: they move people down the steps.
Burdens are imposed on people and communities that neutralize
and can even oppose their efforts to improve their situations.
6
Example 1
Budgets and escalators
7
Let’s report a positive announcement here.
On November 4, 2008, the government announced the full indexation
of all social assistance benefits.
This decision is recurrent. Thus, it is systemic and has an effect
on the escalators.
It took three years and a lot of pressure from citizens before
the government finally decided to deactivate the downward button
it had activated in 2005. However, it is only one button among many.
The rest must still be addressed.
8
Example 2
The two $17M questions
and the Minister
This was the situation
in the spring of 2006.
9
Example 3
Street kids and the mayor
This example was given by a participant in the fall of 2008.
10
It’s up to us today
In pursuit of awareness
It’s our turn to continue
to explore this image,
produced by people
reflecting together,
as we are doing,
and to enrich it
with examples of situations
that occur to us.
11
It’s up to us today
In pursuit of awareness
A dual objective:
•
explore the potential
of the escalators metaphor
to reveal the systemic aspects
of situations and
take action accordingly
•
explore the potential
of sharing and crisscrossing
our knowledge
12
Playing with the model
In pursuit of awareness
September 2008. The image is tested during an international seminar
on research-action against oppression in Vercheny, France.
Those participating
propose examples
of escalator situations
and attempt
to schematically represent
the situations
and the dynamics they reveal.
It works.
Shall we continue today?
13
Your turn!
14
Thank you and have a good workshop!
15
Another round of examples
16
Example 1’
The poorest and the wealthiest
Do you know who makes up the poorest fifth of the population
in your social environment? What is the average income of this group? Is
the situation for this group improving or getting worse? In Canada and in
the United States, the wealthiest thousandth of the population has
regained, since the 1980s, the same share of income it had
in the 1920s.
?
17
Exemple 1’
The poorest and the wealthiest
Do you know who makes up the poorest fifth of the population
in your social environment? What is the average income of this group? Is
the situation for this group improving or getting worse? In Canada and in
the United States, the wealthiest thousandth of the population has
regained, since the 1980s, the same share of income it had
in the 1920s
Sharp rises in
interest rates
Accumulation of
public debt
?
Increased pressure
on states to reduce
their social
spending
18
Example 2’
Indebtedness
Debt is as old as the world, a fortune (un)maker which enslaves a lot
of people. What “escalator” situations related to the cost of borrowing
money do we encounter in our social environment?
19
Example 3’
What about school?
Given the different situations of families, what role does school play in our
social environment?
Does it affect the escalators? In what way?
Can we find examples?
20
Conception and graphic design: Vivian Labrie
With thanks to the Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté and to the Carrefour de savoirs sur les besoins essentiels for allowing
the use of iconography developed between 1998 and 2006 (including the escalators image, which was first drawn
by Richard Fecteau, the pre-budgetary illustration shown in slide 3, and part of the vocabulary in the illustration in slide 4),
to Emmanuel Bodinier for the Vercheny photos (slide 13), and to Alain Noël for the graph based on the data from Atkinson and
Piketty (slides 23 and 24).
Good luck with your workshops!
And keep us informed, if you wish, about your experiences,
by writing to us at the following address:
ncchpp@inspq.qc.ca.
Vivian Labrie, 2011
21
A tool from the presentation kit for A Workshop on Inequalities
using the Escalators Metaphor
Labrie, V. (2011) A Workshop on Inequalities using the
Escalators Metaphor. Presentation kit.
Montréal: NCCHPP. Available for consultation online at:
www.ncchpp.ca/docs/escalators_EN.pdf