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Whose Economy?
 Discussion paper
 Seminars
 Policy paper (Our Economy.)
 Policy tool – the Humankind
Index
Whose Economy?

Decades of regeneration, economic
growth & anti-poverty policies have
not reduced poverty in Scotland

Instead, poverty largely static;
health inequalities worse

And, unexplained premature
mortality, the ‘Scottish/Glasgow
effect’
Life expectancy drops 2yrs for males for each
station travelled east across Glasgow
Males - 75.8y
Females - 83.1y
Hillhead
St George’s
Cross
Buchanan
Street
Jordanhill
Hyndland
Partick
Exhibition
Centre
Charing
Cross
Anderston
QUEEN
STREET
Argyll St.
Govan
Ibrox
Cessnock
CENTRAL
St Enoch
Bridgeton
Males - 61.9y
Females - 74.6y
Life expectancy data refers to 2001-5 and was extracted from the GCPH community health and well-being
profiles. Adapted from the SPT travel map by Gerry McCartney.
A pernicious paradox?

In vulnerable communities, the most important
(sometimes the only) asset available to families
and individuals is their family relationships &
social networks

Yet, recent economic development positions
individuals as cheap, flexible & expendable
labour

This relies on the crucial support systems in
vulnerable communities
But…
simultaneously threatens to destroy them
GDP = generally deplorable
policies….?
 The GDP hero is a chainsmoking, terminal cancer
patient going through an
expensive divorce who
crashes his car on the way to
his job as an arms dealer
because of texting while
eating a take away
hamburger (Anielski)
GDP = generally deplorable policies….?

GDP records as a rise:
- gambling
- dealing with crime and prison
expansion
- health treatment
- outsourced care
- cleaning up an oil spill
- more cars
- increases in the top incomes
without improvement in the incomes
of others
- expenditure on weapons
GDP ignores:
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unpaid community work
walking to work
greater equality
environmental sustainability
prevention of ill-health
time with family and friends
feeling safe and secure
democracy
And, GDP is a lagging indicator...?

JRF Monitoring Poverty & Social
Exclusion shows that even before the
recession began (measured by falls in
GDP), other indicators were falling:
- the unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year
olds began rising
- the number of people in low income
households rose
- the number of children in low income
households where one adult works began
increasing

All prior to the recession
So, what to do about it?
 Remember that wealth = the
conditions of wellbeing (Old English)
 Wellbeing = developing as a
person, being fulfilled & feeling
you make a meaningful
contribution to the community
 Poverty = a failure of wellbeing
 Re-frame the policies
Might putting communities at the apex of
decision-making help our health…….?

Reflecting on the social determinants of health
for the WHO, Marmot & Wilkinson (2003) call for
a more caring and just society, both
economically and socially

People need:
- to feel valued & appreciated, have a sense of
belonging, feel that they are in control
- secure & meaningful work where they
participate in decisions
- to play a meaningful role in the economic,
cultural life of society

Otherwise, they are prone to depression, drug
use, hostility, hopelessness
- all of which impact physical health
Theoretical foundations
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Sustainable Livelihoods Approach
Stiglitz, Sen, Fitoussi for Sarkozy
EHRC Equalities Measurement
Framework
Genuine Progress Indicator (Anielski)
Easterlin Paradox
Carnegie/ Sustainable Development
Commission Roundtable
Happy Planet Index
UNHDI
OECD Better Life Index
Construction of the Oxfam Humankind Index
Steering Group:
- Scottish MP, MSPs, MEP
- Scottish Trades Union Congress
- Scottish Business in the Community
- Scottish Council for Development &
Industry
- The Poverty Alliance
- Glasgow Centre for Population Health
- Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer
- (fmr) Sustainable Development
Commission
- An equalities expert
- A human rights expert
- The Improvement Service
‘What do you
need to live well
in your
community?’
ie the conditions of
wellbeing
Humankind Index: consultation

Team:

Mixed methods

Strategic sampling to illuminate the
voices of seldom heard group
-
nef
Craighead Institute
University of Glasgow
Northern Star
Institute of Development Studies
- street stalls
- community meetings
- focus groups
- online social media tool
- online survey
- event at Scottish Parliament
-YouGov poll
In numbers….
 11 focus groups, 124
participants
 9 community workshops, 175
participants
 11 street stalls, 452 participants
 Online survey, over 1100
responses
 YouGov poll of over 1000 people
 ∑ almost 3000 people
Calculation of the Index
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Weighted sub-domains
(= people’s priorities)
Experts Panel:
-
Fraser of Allander Institute
health
public mental health
natural & environmental assets
poverty
employment, skills
relationships, community activities
crime/ community safety
Using the Humankind Index
 Sub-indexes:
- LA
- Socio-economic deprivation
 The Index might get the
headlines, the indicators
and sub-domains tell the
story…
Returning to Marmot and Wilkinson on the
social determinants of health

‘Unsatisfactory or insecure jobs can be
as harmful as unemployment, merely
having a job will not always protect
physical and mental health: job quality
is also important’ (M&W 2003: p 20)

Social support provides emotional and
practical resources (lower social
support = less wellbeing, more
depression, greater risk of pregnancy
complications, higher disability from
chronic diseases)
Exploring policy implications
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Eg Secure work:
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Eg relationships with family and friends:
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Local community development according to a
Humankind assessment (a la Bhutan)?
Scotland’s international leadership potential
National Performance Framework
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- discard raw employment figures for a measure of ‘decent’
work?
- Planning policies to prioritise economic development
conducive to secure jobs?
- Even government support only for those firms providing
decent jobs?
- Working hour limits underpinned by social protection?
- Reductions in commuting time?
- Affordable spaces to congregate?
Golden Rules & Purpose Targets: Whose
purpose? What purpose?
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Economic growth:
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Productivity:
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Participation:
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Population:
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Solidarity:
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Cohesion:
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Sustainability:
- raise GDP to UK
- match GDP to small EU countries
- top quartile in OECD
- L market participation
- Population growth
- Y & proportion of Y for lowest 30%
- L market participation
- Reduce emissions
What purpose……?

GDP, productivity, participation,
population growth, Y, L market growth
- Where is the quality of jobs?
- Where is the accessibility to those further from
the labour market?
- Where is the focus on inequality across the
income distribution?
- Where is the health of the population?
- Where is the productivity and market share of
our social enterprises, our cooperatives?
- Where is the measurement of things that really
matter to people, not just GDP?
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A few are picked up in national
objectives, but the hierarchy is clear
www.oxfam.org.uk/humankindindex
Launching April 24, 2012
Story Telling Centre, Edinburgh
Details: [email protected]