Assets for well-being for women living in deep poverty: through a salutogenic looking-glass

Abstract

This paper explores assets for health and well-being for women in extremely poor rural areas in Ghana, Haiti, India, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Data were collected through individual interviews and focus group interviews with local women. The paper asks (i) which assets women draw on for well-being in resource-poor settings, and (ii) whether an assets approach, as understood in the Salutogenic Model, is appropriate and meaningful in the most deprived areas. Low levels of natural, material and infrastructural resources were reported by the respondents to cause stress, and assets of a human, social and cultural character were identified as being important in coping with this stress. By mobilizing the capacity and assets of people and places, local development initiatives will make sense logically (comprehensibility), they will be perceived to be practically realistic (manageability), and they will be motivating because they are meaningful, based on involvement in decision-making (meaningfulness). The assets focus must co-exist with initiatives to improve distributional justice. We conclude that an asset approach to well-being is not only appropriate, but also necessary, in even the poorest contexts.

Health dynamics in camps and on campuses: stressors and coping strategies for wellbeing among labourers and students in Cameroon

“…People’s capacity to manage stressors is seen in the ability to create balance in chaos. By creating alternative ways to make additional money, or by actively making an effort to maintain relationships, people are creating balance in their lives, i.e., they are making timely adjustments in their lives to reduce the unwanted aspects of a stressor by identifying and using available resources in order to live more fulfilling lives (Bull et al, 2013). …”

“…Although seemingly inclusive, the WHO definition has been criticized for its projection of an ideal situation that few people can attain (Huber et al, 2011) and for ignoring the efforts that people make with respect to their challenges. For example, people have been shown to consider themselves very healthy in situations that others would characterize as great adversity (Bull, Mittelmark, & Kanyeka, 2013). Similarly, people with chronic diseases have shown tendencies to manage these diseases and live fulfilled lives (Cole & Reiss, 2013).…”

“…A key ability for a person is his/her capacity to comprehend and have an overview of a situation and foresee a way out. This follows from the person’s life experiences, i.e., a balance in life with respect to stressors and resources as well as having a life that is predictable and finally actively taking part in the shaping of his/her life (Bull et al, 2013). Such experiences are essential for putting in place what Antonovsky called Sense of Coherence (SOC).…”

“…This information is essential for a better understanding of what health means and how people attain health in conditions of poverty (Bull et al, 2013). We sought to answer three questions: (1) What types of stressors are experienced by camp dwellers and university students?…”

Rethinking Alternative Livelihood Projects for Women of the Pits: The Case of Atiwa

“…capacity development; and poverty as a multidimensional deprivation, such as physical weakness, powerlessness in decision making, vulnerability, isolation, gender discrimination, and inability to access legal or political rights (Government of Ghana 2003, cited in Wrigley-Asante, 2008. Rural poverty in poor countries, including Ghana, is well documented (Adjei and Bour, 2012;Bull, Mittelmark and Kanyeka, 2013;Wrigley-Asante, 2008). Majority of people in Africa live in rural communities that are deprived of the factors that foster wellbeing, such as health advances and socio-economic development.…”