FAMILY-ORIENTED POLICIES AND ECONOMIC STABILITY OF THE FAMILY

Transcription

1 1. Introduction FAMILY-ORIENTED POLICIES AND ECONOMIC STABILITY OF THE FAMILY VICTOR GRECH The world is currently going through a chaotic phase. The trade and capital links that fed the globalization boom are now speeding inflation around the world. Those most at risk in the midst of this economic and social turbulence are often the most ignored. A human rights approach to fighting poverty in the era of globalization must look at the person, as Pope John Paul II recalls in Centesimus Annus, para.40, within the context of those qualitative needs which cannot be satisfied by market mechanism alone. 1 The human person is where all dimensions of development come together. Development which is not only considered as the elimination of poverty but as the liberation of the gifts and talents of every man and woman through quality living, better health, education and job opportunities. The person however, should not be simply treated as an individual, but in the context of that network of needs and responsibilities linked with his or her family. Following these preliminary considerations I shall try, in my presentation, to answer briefly the following question: What is the contribution of family policies to social inclusion and sustainable growth? 2. An Overview of Family Policies Most European countries base their welfare systems on the individualist principle and few give prominence to the family principle. The family has long been on the margins of the policy agenda in most European countries. However, there is a gradual but perceptible shift towards bringing the family in as a welfare provider. Researchers have slowly started to think about the contribution of the family unit in promoting welfare, providing a safety net and combating other social problems, such as poverty and exclusion. This has largely been the achievement of researchers of the Southern European model of the Welfare State - countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. In the analysis of the Southern European Welfare States, solidarity is a key aspect of social provisions, with the family playing a prominent role. 3. Family-Related Policies In contrast to Social Policies established to protect against a particular social risk - such as social security, health, housing etc., family policies are largely established to protect a defined social group of people against different risks, such as disabled people, children in difficulty and ethnic minorities. As a general trend, the focus of family policies has tended to move from society as a whole to those families mostly in need or at risk. This is reflected in several reports published about poverty in Europe which expose the vulnerability of the family unit. 1 Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul II. 66

2 Caritas Europa Contribution Towards the Needs Assessment and Analysis of the Poorest Families in Europe In the Second Report on Poverty in Europe, under the title: Poverty has faces in Europe 2 published by Caritas Europa - it was found that, despite the heterogeneity of Caritas Europa Member Organisations (representing 47 European countries), there is a high degree of convergence regarding the most vulnerable types of families. The following types of families or households have been identified as the poorest families in Europe: Lone parents (most frequently women) either single, separated or divorced; Large familes (families with 3 or more children); People living alone, not exclusively the elderly. Young people can feel isolated if they are unemployed or in low-paid jobs; Families with one or more members chronically sick, disabled, mentally ill or suffering from drug/ alcohol/gambling addictions; Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; Minorities and particularly the Roma people; The low-paid and unemployed; People with poor educational achievement and insufficient skills; Children at risk. The leitmotiv of many family situations in Europe is concern for children who, through inadequate means, experience insufficient care and poor educational performance. In this regard, Malta has already set numerous initiatives in place to address the issue of child poverty and social exclusion. However, there are 8.9% of children living in jobless households and the rate of early school leavers stands at 41.2%. There is an urgent need for further commitment on these issues in setting quantitative targets for the eradication of poverty and social exclusion in Malta. For example, very little of the Education reform agreement has been implemented since the document was signed a year ago 3. I wish to refer here to a research study by Dr. Angela Abela and Dr. Charles Tabone O.P., about Family Poverty and Social Exclusion with a Special Emphasis on Children, commissioned by the National Family Commission (Malta, April 2005) 4. In this study, there are significant recommendations as to how to minimize child poverty. Malta reflects the average EU situation with 14.9% of the population at risk of poverty (NSO, 2000) and 21% of children in the EU are at risk of poverty compared with 20.6% in Malta (NSO, 2000). As most of the family policies are directed to individual needs rather than the communal, we are having smaller families with fewer children. Moreover, as the financial burden of the family increases, more time is given to work, rather than to family life, with the result that communication between members of the same family unit is being weakened and inter-personal relationships eroded. 2 Poverty Has Faces In Europe - Second Report on Poverty by Caritas Europa (2004). 3 The Malta Union of Teachers Statement (2008). 4 Family Poverty and Social Exclusion with A Special Emphasis on Children - Research Study by Dr. Angela Abela and Dr. Charles Tabone O.P., (2005). 67

3 4. Different Faces of Poverty in a Locality in Malta Recently, research was conducted by two Caritas Staff members: Dr. Damian Spiteri and Mr. Leonid McKay, in the locality of Birkirkara 5. The research cohort was constituted of 123 families, living in the St. Helen s area of Birkirkara, who are receiving EU-funded food aid. The methodology selected was qualitative. Financial restraints and social exclusion were analysed by examining the needs, limitations, resources and aspirations of each family under investigation. Even though each family surveyed faced its own hardships, the results highlighted some general common issues. This study highlights the different faces of poverty experienced by the four clusters that relate to issues of unemployment, marital problems, health-related difficulties and elderly issues. The following illustration depicts the main concerns that were attributed to each family: Unemployment: Financial Difficulties to make ends meet More likely to engage in deviant behaviour Affect children s level of education Inadequate housing conditions Instability in family relationships Health Issues: physical/mental disabilities Exclusion from participation in public life Limited life choices and chances Housing issues and adequate equipment Future?? Elderly: One-member families tend to experience loneliness and insecurity Role of elderly to absorb familial difficulties Consequence financial burden Marital Issues: separation, lone parents,cohabitation, domestic violence, widows Affecting children s education to overcome trauma Job availabilty Recruitment patterns Social Services allotment Labour market structures Issue of chain reaction process Tend to turn to their closest family relatives Another factor which is seen associated with poverty in the Birkirkara area is illiteracy. This raises the issue of child poverty. It is clear from this Study that there are people who feel like strangers in their own family and their own neighbourhood. They are lonely, estranged, threatened and isolated. They often lack inner strengths and the ability to cope with difficult situations 6. 5 A Caritas Malta Research study conducted by Dr. Damian Spiteri and Mr. Leonid McKay about Families Receiving EU-Funded Food in Birkirkara, (2007). 6 Mgr. Victor Grech, Caritas Malta Poverty Watch - Third Report (1998). 68

4 5. Policy for Strenghtening the Family Unit We do not lack a social conscience in Malta with regard to families in difficulty and children at risk. It is urgent, however, that the Government concentrates its resources to offer a comprehensive family policy which strengthens the natural family based on life-long marriage between man and woman, and which conceives children as society s future assets. I am thinking of a Family Policy Model which seeks to maintain adequate balances between: - work, family responsibilities and the development of the individual and the family; - earning and good use of financial resources; - real family needs and induced needs by media, internet and peer pressure. In order to achieve this balance, fiscal and social protection measures, work practices, support initiatives and positive incentives should safeguard the economic sustainability of the family unit provided that the family (traditional or not) has the know-how required to make the right choices and manage skillfully its financial resources. In this regard, a programme of skills dissemination is being considered. It is intended to help individuals, within or contemplating marriage, to improve their economic decision-making abilities. 6. Economic Management in the Family The economic dimension is one, but not the only one, of the essential elements to the sustainabilty of the family unit. The economic management of the family involves: the allocation of time; the amount and type of consumption to be effected by the family; the amount of savings to be effected; family planning; the timing of acquisition of major assets; planning for unexpected adverse events. These decisions are very often difficult to take. A wrong approach towards these economic decisions could disrupt a marriage and a family. 7. General Conclusions I have pointed out that: 1) With the exception of few countries, there is a distinct lack of family-friendly policies in Europe. Most countries focus on the individual. 2) The family should be guaranteed legal, economic and social protection. 3) There are a number of social policies which have an impact on the economic sustainability of the family unit, such as tax policies, transfer payments (both universal and means-tested benefits), labour policies, child-care, education, housing and health policies. 4) There are various categories of families who are at risk of chronic poverty and social exclusion. 5) In Malta, there are families who are deprived of a dignified and decent living. 6) The traditional family structure should be upheld as a viable choice of lifestyle because it sustains the well-being and development of individuals and the community, where there is harmony between the members of the family unit. 8. Recommendations 1) It is urgent to define a realistic national poverty line in Malta. 2) There is a need to establish a decent, adequate minimum wage, adjustable to the rise of the cost of living. 69

5 3) Given that unemployment is a primary source of economic unsustainability, an adequate benefit system should be put in place and employment schemes should be provided. 4) The system of taxation should be family-friendly. 5) Housing cost - whether mortgage or rental - forms the major position of the family expenditure. Serious measures are needed to ensure timely access to low-cost, quality, affordable housing. 6) It is necessary to increase budgetary allocations for social protection schemes. 7) A programme of skills dissemination should be introduced in order to improve the economic decisionmaking abilities of the family. 8) Regularising the situation of immigrant families would help to combat the grey economy which contributes little or nothing to the national tax base, and which often exploits the migrant worker. These recommendations, which are in line with the Lisbon strategy of skills training, better job opportunities and an optimum leap in the quality of life should draw the attention of those who make things happen rather than see or wish things happen. 70