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© Alex Clapson 24-01-18 [email protected] 07855 636535
The Equilibrium of Shared Interests
By Alex Clapson
© Alex Clapson 24-01-18 [email protected] 07855 636535
Whilst training to become a Social Worker in the late 1990’s, our lecturers described a fundamental cornerstone of Social Work ethics & practice as being collaboration & empowerment. Once ensconced in frontline Social Work practice, I rapidly became aware that the power (political, policy, financial etc.) was firmly held by the large institutions, & that the recipients or users of services had to conform & comply, or face the consequences. But does it have to be this way? Could the power imbalance be harmful to society, creating reluctance on the part of service users to engage & dependency upon service provision? By giving away some of the decision making & shaping of services, would control be lost & chaos ensue? In this brief article, I will explore a different approach to practice in which seeking out shared interests builds sustainable relationships between the institutions & the recipients of their services. Today, if we wish to purchase goods, we visit the shops, exchange money for the items & then head home again. Back in ancient times, the process wasn't nearly as simple. If you or someone in your settlement didn't grow it, herd it or make it, you needed to either go without, seek an alternative, or else travel for it, sometimes over great distances. Each community had differing needs & desires, for goods & services not available within their society. In order to address this, one approach would be to simply invade your neighbour’s lands, pillage until your carts were full, & return home again. Such tactics, whilst generally effective in the short-term, carried with them great risks. These included: losses in battle; reprisals by those whose goods had been plundered; the possibility that future incursions might not go so easily; or indeed, that the neighbouring tribe might move elsewhere to avoid the repetition of the invasion. This method of acquiring things was neither sustainable nor viable in the long-term. Other schemes had to be found, hence the emergence of trade. Historians believe that the first long-distance trade occurred between Mesopotamia & the Indus Valley in Pakistan around 3000 BC. Trade was limited almost exclusively to luxury goods, including spices, textiles & precious metals. The domestication of camels around 1000 BC helped encourage over land trade routes, called caravans, & linked India with the Mediterranean. Around 800 BC, Homer & Hesiod wrote of the existence of permanent places of trade (emporia) the equivalent to our modern-day shopping centres. Trade routes emerged, criss-crossing the entire Eurasian continent, intricately linking cultures for the first time in history. Nomadic travel & the ensuing trade in goods promoted an exchange of ideas & technologies. Trade & cooperation added value. The adversity of primitive travel over great distances was tackled & successful entrepreneurs developed the ability to adapt to dramatic change, whilst surviving & prospering.
© Alex Clapson 24-01-18 [email protected] 07855 636535
The Phoenicians famous for their seafaring expertise were the trading masters of the Mediterranean. They became trusted intermediaries, enabling goods to be traded between (oftentimes hostile) nations. So much for the interesting history lesson; what can the evolution of trade teach us? Trade brought disparate peoples into close proximity with one another due to their shared interests in each-other’s produce. Communication & social Interaction were crucial to trade. Successful traders learnt foreign languages & familiarised themselves with the different customs & practices of their trading partners. Peoples with shared interests share the same pathway – it is an association based upon mutual exchange. Reframing the relationship toward these common goals offers a path forward. Creating a better communal understanding of how Social Workers & Service Users share complementary priorities will help bolster a more resilient relationship able to withstand the inevitable mutual waxes and wanes. The approach of doing things to, rather than with Service Users increases the risk of their disengagement & proliferation of endemic problems within society. Collaboration & reinforcing community cohesion is a key to sustainable relationships. Sharing power can save time, energy & resources in the long-term. It also tends to make institutions more stable. As the great political philosopher Montesquieu noted - Once power is too concentrated, institutions become subject to the whims of those in control. The centralising of power reduces the opportunity to protect against the disempowerment of the beneficiaries to whom services are provided. This has become increasingly recognised by companies seeking a leading edge in a competitive marketplace. A commitment to address discrimination, to gender equity & women’s economic empowerment for example, advances the companies’ association with the target audience & thereby increases their market share. Power sharing can help to overcome a problem so often lamented by Social Workers – that of the Service User’s ‘lack of commitment’ to plans the Social Worker has drawn up on their behalf. Sharing power cannot be achieved without sharing the creative process – collaborating to achieve the agreed goals. A co-working approach involves the Service User from the outset, working to identify & agree actions to be taken by both parties toward their shared interests. Discovering what Service Users wish to achieve, (rather than imposing our own views) & aligning these with our objectives creates a win-win. Tensions in the working relationship diminish as a result & genuine ownership of the agreed goals engenders commitment. Listening to the views of others is crucial if positive change is to happen. Forming relationships with other professionals (such as health, education & probation) who have common interests can further add to the efficacy of Social Work & enhance the standing of the profession. Co-creation with Service Users also taps into the psychology of reciprocity (or mutual benefit). The premise of reciprocity is that of the intention to give back that which
© Alex Clapson 24-01-18 [email protected] 07855 636535
others have given to us in the past (either directly back to that individual, or indirectly, by paying it forward. We inherently convey a feeling of indebtedness when someone does something for us. This need not be based upon feelings of guilt, or inducement to pay back, but centred upon the mutual respect that collaboration can generate. By working together towards a shared goal, we begin to forge partnerships which can, over time, prove to be greater than the sum of their parts. Reframing the way we work toward a greater recognition of shared interests is a great way for Social Workers & Service Users to forge a stronger & more resilient relationship – The equilibrium of shared interests.
