Using Adventure to Increase the Emotional Intelligence of the Poor

Abstract

Poverty can mean different things to different people. Traditionally the most important "thread" in poverty discourse has been the notion of a material lack, especially the lack of resources necessary for survival (Poverty and Inequality Institute, 2007:10). This type of poverty is not new in South Africa. In 2001 the country's unemployment rate was 29,4%, but came down to 25,5% in 2006 (Statistics South Africa, 2006:10). This statistic is indicative of the fact that the government and private sector have made a large contribution towards attending to the problem. Although progress has been made, there are still many poor and unemployed people in South Africa. This is clear from the results of the labour force survey finalised in September 2006. This survey demonstrated that the labour market consisted of 29 852 000 persons aged between 15-65 years; of these, 12 451 000 persons were employed and 4 275 000 persons were unemployed in terms of the official definition, meaning that they were unemployed, but would take up work within two weeks after participation in the survey. A further 13 126 000 people http://socialwork.journals.ac.za/

‘Blaming-the-poor’: Strengths and development discourses which obfuscate neo-liberal and individualist ideologies

“…The third article (Reyneke, 2009) exemplifies the dominant discourse of blaming the poor, maintaining the macro-economic status quo as well as the complicity of social work in reproducing inequality through its intervention strategies. The use of adventure experiences which lead to increased emotional intelligence is proposed as a solution to the ‘poverty trap’ in which ‘clients’ find themselves (Reyneke, 2009). The empowerment of people in poor communities is equated with the development of human potential and emotional intelligence.…”

“…The ideological position is overtly stated, the purpose of this article is to redefine poverty and to demonstrate and describe how adventure programmes can be used to empower the poor so that they can experience improved adaptation to their environment and in that way become well-adjusted, well-motivated citizens. (Reyneke, 2009: 47)…”

“…Various reasons are given for why ‘these people are not even willing to try and find a job’, including ‘a lack of emotional energy to look for a job, laziness, a lack of life skills, or it may even be that they or someone close to them draws an income in the form of a grant’ (Reyneke, 2009: 48). Social workers are thus interpellated into a position whereby mutability and possibility of social change relates only to personal agency, and does not take into account structural considerations (Therborn, 1980).…”

“…While the approaches described in these articles provide useful guidelines for social work interventions, it is problematic that they are linked to poverty and development. The strengths perspective, the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach and adventure training (Gray and Collett van Rooyen, 2002; Nel, 2006; Reyneke, 2009) may offer useful strategies for social work, but fail to address serious and oppressive structural dynamics which perpetuate poverty and inequality. In these articles, discourse and ideologies of ‘blaming the poor’, individualism and personal culpability are overtly stated.…”

Unhelpful Help: The Social Work Profession’s Response to Mass Poverty in South Africa

“…Our social justice and human rights principles bind us to this call. Practitioners should assist poor people to focus and build on their assets to reclaim or gain the power they might have lost or never had and facilitate self-confidence, self-reliance, ownership, empowerment, responsibility, human dignity and personal vision (De Beer & Swanepoel, 2000;Reyneke, 2009). They should be treated and respected as citizens who are producers and participants in creating the world they are living in.…”