Psychosocial Barriers as Impediments to the Expansion of Functionings and Capabilities: The Case of Mexico

Abstract

Social norms can enable or limit development. The focus of this paper is on how psychosocial barriers limit functionings and capability development in Mexico. As far as individuals make such barriers their own, they go from being external to being internal; that is, they go beyond being social norms to becoming personal ones. As social norms become personal norms, they can become either barriers or opportunities for change. In fatalistic and tight societies such as Mexico, pressure to conform to “what will happen anyway” and to external norms and expectations is strong. This makes it easier to adopt such barriers than to expand one's functionings and capabilities and thus become an agent of change. In other words, it is more comfortable and practical to continue being a subject rather than an agent of change. The consequence is the apparent and accepted state of affairs of neither oneself nor others enabling the development of personal agency. It is through experiential workshops based on facilitating cognitive, emotional and social skills, and knowledge in health, education, citizenship and productivity that freedoms can be expanded in such a way that psychosocial barriers are reduced and that individuals change behaviors so as to become agents of change.

Keywords:

• Psychosocial barriers
• Capability development
• Personal agency
• Mexico

Acknowledgements

This article is based on “Agency and Well-being: The Role of Psychology in making Sen's Human Capabilities Approach Operative” presented by Dr Pick at the Human Development and Capabilities Association 2013 Annual Conference in Managua, Nicaragua, September 2013. The authors wish to thank Professor Ype H. Poortinga at University of Tilburg, the Netherlands for his useful comments.

About the Authors

Susan Pick is the founder and president of the Instituto Mexicano de Investigación de Familia y Población, A.C. (Yo quiero Yo puedo—IMIFAP). She developed the Framework for Enabling Empowerment, is co-author of the book Breaking the Poverty Cycle (Pick and Sirkin, Oxford University Press) and lectures at the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Anna-Emilia Hietanen works as the Leader of Academic Dissemination in Yo quiero Yo puedo (IMIFAP) and lectures at the Faculty of Humanities of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).