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Putting Wellbeing Back Into Welfare

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Putting Wellbeing Back Into Welfare Putting wellbeing back into welfare: Exploring social development in Aotearoa New Zealand from beneficiaries’ perspectives Alicia Nicole Sudden March 2016 School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences Supervisor: Marcela Palamino-Schalscha A thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Development Studies Cover photo Source: Author. Taken in 2015 from Polhill Reserve in Aro Valley, overlooking Wellington, New Zealand. Abstract New Zealand implemented the first definitive welfare state in 1938, institutionalising the responsibility held by the state to protect citizens and uphold their wellbeing. Since then, the swift and pervasive implementation of neoliberal reforms in New Zealand have transformed the social development landscape, and the wider economic setting. New Zealand is now in the midst of unprecedented levels of inequality and child poverty. Yet in the face of increasing hardship, the welfare system has become increasingly residual and punitive towards those in need. The most recent overhaul of the welfare system occurred in July 2013. These reforms came with a marked push toward reducing benefit recipient numbers, evidenced in the use of off-the- benefit figures as a measure of a successful system. However, this narrative obscures the experiences and wellbeing of people behind these figures, which is particularly problematic given the increased employment instability and financial insecurity fostered by the current labour market. This thesis aims to explore the experiences of those who have come off the benefit since July 2013, either temporarily or permanently, in order to understand how the current welfare system is impacting those it is intended to support. In order to best capture the voices of former and current beneficiaries, this thesis utilised a mixed methods approach. A survey was conducted to identify patterns and trends from the voices of over 200 participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to enrich the quantified results, and understand the narratives and experiences of individuals in more depth. By drawing on a post-development framework, this thesis works toward creating a space for an alternative discussion around welfare that goes beyond the hegemony of economic-centric dialogues. The findings suggest that the welfare system is failing to adequately support those facing hardship or facilitate positive off-the-benefit transitions. Instead, it is fostering the neoliberal assault on citizenship and social rights, and deepening the growing inequalities within New Zealand society. i ii Acknowledgements I could not have produced this thesis without the support and assistance of some wonderful people. I would like to take the time to acknowledge their role in this research. To all of the participants involved in this research, I cannot thank you enough for taking time to enable my research to be possible. You are the heart and soul of this thesis. I would like to especially thank those who participated in the interviews. I feel extremely privileged that you welcomed me into your life and shared your experiences with me. To Marcela, your guidance and support has been pivotal in producing the work that follows. Your feedback has strengthened my work and inspired me to think in new ways. To Natalie, Tess, and James, thank you for your excellent proofreading. To Wokje Abrahamse, your assistance with the quantitative sphere was greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank the Rosemary Barrington Research Grant for the financial contribution to my studies. A special thanks to Max Rashbrooke for giving my research direction. Your assistance as I was hunting for the right thesis topic led me on my journey to producing this research. And to all those groups and individuals who took the time to promote my research, thank you for your support. To James for supporting me and always believing in me, and making home a relaxing place when my head was not. To my fellow thesis writers- Alice C, Alice J, Sam, Tash, Elspeth, Lucy, and Avril- your friendship has kept me sane throughout all of this and made this journey a fun one that I will always treasure. To the rest of the Deve class of 2014-2016, in the immortal words of Michael Jackson: “heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race”. And to my mum, for your support and always making me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t do. iii iv Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Contents ............................................................................................................................. v List of figures ............................................................................................................................. ix List of tables .............................................................................................................................. x Acronyms ................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 Introducing this research project ......................................................................... 1 Development theories: Positioning classical economic theory within a post-development framework ................................................................................................................................. 2 Wellbeing and society ............................................................................................................... 4 Citizenship and rights as the foundation of welfare ................................................................. 5 Research aim and scope ............................................................................................................ 6 Chapter outline ......................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Exploring the welfare state and neoliberalism: From social rights to the New Right ................................................................................................................................. 11 The welfare state: Tracing the origins of state support .......................................................... 11 The rise of neoliberalism ......................................................................................................... 13 Global trends of neoliberalism ............................................................................................ 14 Three phases of neoliberalism in New Zealand ...................................................................... 15 Roll-back neoliberalism (1984-1999): Rolling back the welfare state................................. 15 Roll-out neoliberalism (1999- 2008): The Third Way .......................................................... 17 Roll-over neoliberalism (2008 onwards): The current welfare landscape .......................... 18 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 3 A mixed methods methodology ......................................................................... 23 Building a conceptual framework ........................................................................................... 23 A constructivist epistemology ............................................................................................. 24 A post-development theoretical lens .................................................................................. 24 Operationalising the assessment of wellbeing in a mixed methods study ......................... 25 Feminist theory and practicing reflexivity ........................................................................... 27 Mixed methods: The third paradigm ...................................................................................... 28 v Mixed methods: Strands, timing, status and integration of methods ................................ 29 The first phase: The survey ..................................................................................................... 30 Participant demographic of survey respondents ................................................................ 32 Quantitative data analysis ................................................................................................... 34 The second phase: Semi-structured interviews ...................................................................... 35 The interview process ......................................................................................................... 36 Interview analysis and representation ................................................................................ 37 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................. 38 Beyond tick boxes: Confronting my ethics throughout the research process .................... 39 Understanding relationships and outcomes: Positionality in research .............................. 40 Chapter 4 Introducing the interview participants ............................................................... 43 Luke ........................................................................................................................................
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