This article is very interesting.
I am glad to hear that the relational approach to social issues is now adopted in the US.
I started to develop this approach in the 1980s and now is widespreading mainly in Europe:
see Pierpaolo Donati, Relational Sociology. A New Paradigm for the Social Sciences, Routledge, London and New York, 2011,
and Donati and L. Martignani (eds.), Towards a New Local Welfare. Best Practices and Networks of Social Inclusion, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2015,
and F. Folgheraiter, Relational Social Work. Toward Networking and Societal Practices, J. Kingsley, London, 2004.
Thank you for the note, Prof. Donati, this is helpful. It’s good to know there is work on relational work in Europe. We hope to write more about international contexts in the future.
Michael and Ines, we couldn’t agree more with this article. At LIFT we believe that building a strong relationship founded on our Members’ priorities is a more effective approach than assuming we know what’s best for them. Not only do we think this is common sense, but our data supports that treating people with dignity and respect and asking them what matters most translates into more action by our Members.
Recently we conducted analysis that shows that LIFT Members who feel more connected to us and their communities take three times as many steps towards their goals – goals like finding better jobs, accessing benefits or securing more stable housing. Imagine what progress – or true transformation – we might unlock if the broader social sector embraced a more relational approach. We stand at the ready to share what we’ve learned on our journey thus far and would be enthusiastic about participating in a dialogue to learn from others.
It’s great to see relational work highlighted. That’s the approach our YWCA has taken for years in our work with women and families around housing, domestic violence and economic empowerment.
I agree that it may be useful to highlight the relational approach, but I don’t see it as fundamentally new (many smaller nonprofits have been working in this way for decades) or as a revolutionary to battle growing inequality. Assisting individuals and families to make the leap does nothing to close the chasm over which they are leaping, nor does it prevent the next set of families from finding themselves in poverty.
Very interesting. You may be interested in Lenora B. Fulani’s work on the subjectivity of poverty. She discusses this in The Development Line: Helping the Poor to Grow. http://allstars.org/sites/default/files/The Development Line_0.pdf
Cynthia,
Yes, you are right it’s not all that new (with roots going back to the 19th century), but it is quite a change for the major nonprofits, and is resurgent among smaller ones. On your last statement, these kinds of efforts have what are called “network effects” as others see what is happening, which makes it more plausible for them. And many nonprofits also examine ways to “close the chasm” if you are referring to structural reasons for poverty.
In the international context, you might want to take a look at Children International—where a traditional child sponsorship model is evolving into a community-based program founded on a relational model.
The program for younger kids depends on outreach through local social workers and community volunteers who get to know the individual kids and their families and use flexible program resources to fill gaps (from nutrition to school transportation or even relocating after loss of a home). As the kids get older they are counseled into choosing among varied youth programs targeted to helping them overcome the barriers/patterns and become self-reliant, employable and capable of moving out of poverty. All still a work in progress, but the direction is clear.
One of the challenges is moving the individual sponsors from a traditional distribution model into a more relational and programmatic one.
COMMENTS
BY Prof. Pierpaolo Donati
ON March 18, 2015 01:39 AM
This article is very interesting.
I am glad to hear that the relational approach to social issues is now adopted in the US.
I started to develop this approach in the 1980s and now is widespreading mainly in Europe:
see Pierpaolo Donati, Relational Sociology. A New Paradigm for the Social Sciences, Routledge, London and New York, 2011,
and Donati and L. Martignani (eds.), Towards a New Local Welfare. Best Practices and Networks of Social Inclusion, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2015,
and F. Folgheraiter, Relational Social Work. Toward Networking and Societal Practices, J. Kingsley, London, 2004.
BY Michael Jindra
ON March 18, 2015 07:31 AM
Thank you for the note, Prof. Donati, this is helpful. It’s good to know there is work on relational work in Europe. We hope to write more about international contexts in the future.
BY LIFT
ON March 19, 2015 07:44 AM
Michael and Ines, we couldn’t agree more with this article. At LIFT we believe that building a strong relationship founded on our Members’ priorities is a more effective approach than assuming we know what’s best for them. Not only do we think this is common sense, but our data supports that treating people with dignity and respect and asking them what matters most translates into more action by our Members.
Recently we conducted analysis that shows that LIFT Members who feel more connected to us and their communities take three times as many steps towards their goals – goals like finding better jobs, accessing benefits or securing more stable housing. Imagine what progress – or true transformation – we might unlock if the broader social sector embraced a more relational approach. We stand at the ready to share what we’ve learned on our journey thus far and would be enthusiastic about participating in a dialogue to learn from others.
BY Sue Sherbrooke
ON March 19, 2015 12:53 PM
It’s great to see relational work highlighted. That’s the approach our YWCA has taken for years in our work with women and families around housing, domestic violence and economic empowerment.
BY Michael Jindra
ON March 19, 2015 01:22 PM
Yes, the YWCA is among the many organizations we are looking at, and they seem to have strong programs in a number of areas.
BY Cynthia Silva Parker
ON March 19, 2015 02:41 PM
I agree that it may be useful to highlight the relational approach, but I don’t see it as fundamentally new (many smaller nonprofits have been working in this way for decades) or as a revolutionary to battle growing inequality. Assisting individuals and families to make the leap does nothing to close the chasm over which they are leaping, nor does it prevent the next set of families from finding themselves in poverty.
BY Bonny L. Gildin
ON March 19, 2015 03:36 PM
Very interesting. You may be interested in Lenora B. Fulani’s work on the subjectivity of poverty. She discusses this in The Development Line: Helping the Poor to Grow. http://allstars.org/sites/default/files/The Development Line_0.pdf
BY Michael Jindra
ON March 19, 2015 04:23 PM
Cynthia,
Yes, you are right it’s not all that new (with roots going back to the 19th century), but it is quite a change for the major nonprofits, and is resurgent among smaller ones. On your last statement, these kinds of efforts have what are called “network effects” as others see what is happening, which makes it more plausible for them. And many nonprofits also examine ways to “close the chasm” if you are referring to structural reasons for poverty.
Bonny that sounds like a good suggestion.
BY Leslie Scallet
ON May 5, 2015 09:19 AM
In the international context, you might want to take a look at Children International—where a traditional child sponsorship model is evolving into a community-based program founded on a relational model.
The program for younger kids depends on outreach through local social workers and community volunteers who get to know the individual kids and their families and use flexible program resources to fill gaps (from nutrition to school transportation or even relocating after loss of a home). As the kids get older they are counseled into choosing among varied youth programs targeted to helping them overcome the barriers/patterns and become self-reliant, employable and capable of moving out of poverty. All still a work in progress, but the direction is clear.
One of the challenges is moving the individual sponsors from a traditional distribution model into a more relational and programmatic one.
BY Michael Jindra
ON May 7, 2015 11:14 AM
Nice example, and thanks—I mentioned Children International to a reporter, who just mentioned it in her article (which also links back to this article). See
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2015/0505/The-FXB-toolkit-Latest-weapon-in-fighting-poverty