PRAXIS

 SOCIAL  ANALYSIS  TOOL  

SY  2015-­‐2016  
 
There  are  three  insights  into  poverty  which  underpin  Sustainable  Lives  approach:  
The   first   is   the   realization   that   while   economic   growth   may   be   essential   for   poverty  
reduction,   there   is   no   automatic   relationship   between   the   two   since   it   all   depends   on   the  
capabilities  of  the  poor  to  take  advantage  of  expanding  economic  opportunities.  
Second,   there   is   the   realization   that   poverty   —   as   conceived   by   the   poor   themselves   —   is  
not  just  a  question  of  low  income,  but  also  includes  other  dimensions  such  as  bad  health,  illiteracy,  
lack   of   social   services,   etc.,   as   well   as   a   state   of   vulnerability   and   feelings   of   powerlessness   in  
general.  
Finally,  it  is  now  recognized  that  the   poor   themselves   often   know   their   situation   and   needs  
best  and  must  therefore  be  involved  in  the  design  of  policies  and  project  intended  to  better  their  
lot.  
 
INSTRUCTIONS:  
A.  Before  Immersion  Proper  
1. It  would  be  best  for  any  group  going  on  immersion  to  start  to  have  a  background  of  the  sector  or  area  
assigned  to  you.  This  would  help  you  gain  a  better  understanding  when  doing  social  analysis.  
2. Make  sure  to  make  the  most  out  of  your  immersion  experience  by  preparing  possible  questions  that  
would  help  you  do  social  analysis.  Possible  questions  are  listed  on  the  observations  column  of  Table  I.  
B.  After  Immersion  Proper  
3. Fill  up  the  parts  of  the  framework  shown  below  by  answering  the  questions  under  the  OBSERVATIONS  
column  first  based  on  your  group’s  observation  and  data  collected  during  the  immersion.  (Make  sure  
to  take  into  account  the  different  observations/data  gathered  by  each  member  of  the  group.);  and,  
based  on  what  you  have  observed,  input  what  pieces  of  information  affect  one  another  and  what  
possible  effects  are  created  or  seen  because  of  different  factors  affecting  one  another.  
4. Print  a  copy  of  your  answers  to  the  SA  tool  and  bring  it  during  the  social  analysis  session.  
 
SUSTAINABLE  LIVES  /  LIVELIHOOD  FRAMEWORK  

 
 
  
VULNERABILITY  CONTEXT  

This  frames  the  external  environment  in  which  people   As  a  start:  

exist.  People’s  adaptive  strategies  and  the  wider  
availability  of  assets  are  fundamentally  affected  by   • What  are  the  seasonal  patterns  of  different  
activities  that  community  or  institution  
critical  trends  as  well  as  by  shocks  and  seasonality  –  
engages  in?  
over  which  they  have  limited  or  no  control  
• What  seasonal  patterns  can  be  observed  in  
  terms  of  food  supply,  income,  expenditure,  
Shocks  are  sudden  or  unforeseen  events  that  occur  in   residence,  etc.?  
a  short  period  of  time  (i.e.  flash  floods,  death  of  a   • What  shocks  has  the  community  or  institution  
family  member  or  leader,  typhoons,  war,  pest   faced  in  the  past  and  how  did  it  deal  with  
infestation,  landslides)   them?  
  • Are  there  trends  that  the  community  or  
institution  adhere  to?  
Trends  are  events  that  occur  over  a  period  of  time  that  
 
may  or  may  not  change  (i.e.  fashion  trends,  fishing  and  
farming  trends,  technological  trends  –  having  tablets   Looking  forward:  
and  internet  access,  food  trends,  societal  trends)  
  • Are  there  vulnerabilities  created  or  caused  by  
Seasonalities  are  events  that  occur  for  a  given  period   structures  inside  or  outside  their  community?  
of  time  that  may  be  predicted  and  somewhat  prepared   • What  vulnerabilities  affect  the  community’s  or  
institution’s  asset  pentagon  directly?  
for  (rainy  or  summer  season,  school  breaks  and  school  
Indirectly?  
seasons,  farming  and  fishing  seasons,  seasonal   • Are  there  vulnerabilities  that  are  addressed  by  
diseases,  Christmas,  Undas,  Holy  Week  season)   processes?  Or  the  community  or  institution  is  
able  to  address?  
ASSET  PENTAGON  

HUMAN   As  a  start:  

The  skills,  knowledge,  good  health  and  ability  to  work   • Who  are  they?  (names,  ages,  genders,  ethnic  
that  together  enable  people  to  be  productive  –  who   groups)  
are  they?   • Do  they  have  any  health  risks  or  conditions?  
(disabilities,  diseases  or  conditions)  
• What  are  they  skilled  in  and  is  it  maximized?  
Do  they  want  to  learn  a  certain  skill?  
• What  is  their  education  background?  
• What  are  their  jobs?  Do  they  have  the  skills  
required  for  it?  
 

Looking  forward:  

• What  do  the  demographics  say  about  the  area  

or  institution?  
• How  can  their  skills  be  used?  Why  aren’t  they  
maximized?  
• Why  is  their  educational  background  until  a  
certain  level?  How  are  they  able  to  reach  a  
certain  level?  
• How  do  their  human  assets  affect  their  other  
assets  or  parts  of  the  framework?  How  is  the  
human  asset  affected  by  the  other  parts?  
SOCIAL   As  a  start:  

The  social  resources  which  people  can  draw  on   • What  groups  are  found  in  the  community  or  
including  informal  relationships  of  trust,  reciprocity   institution?  
and  exchange  with  families,  friends  and  neighbours  as   • Are  there  certain  individuals  who  hold  a  
certain  amount  of  power?  
well  as  more  formalised  groupings  (e.g.  community  
• Do  those  associated  to  certain  gain  anything  
and  faith  groups)  –  who  do  they  know  and  what  can  
from  them?  Do  those  unassociated  to  them  
they  gain  out  of  them?   lose  anything?  
• Are  there  any  enemies  in  the  community  or  
institution?  How  are  individuals  or  the  
community/institution  affected  by  it?  
• In  what  situations  are  certain  individuals  or  
groups  become  beneficial?  Disadvantageous?  
 

Looking  forward:  

• Are  their  social  assets  maximized?  

• Do  politicians  aid  them  or  not?  
• How  do  their  social  assets  affect  their  other  
assets  or  parts  of  the  framework?  How  is  the  
social  asset  affected  by  the  other  parts?  
NATURAL   As  a  start:  

The  natural  resource  stocks  (soil,  water,  air,  genetic   • What  land,  water,  livestock  and  plant  or  forest  
resources,  etc.)  and  environmental  services   resources  are  available  to  the  community  or  
(hydrological  cycle,  pollution  sinks,  etc.)  from  which   institution?  Are  these  maximized?  
• Are  these  resources  accessible?  Useable?  
resource  flows  and  services  useful  for  sustaining  
• What  is  the  quality  of  these  resources?  
community/individual  lifestyle  –  what  is  naturally  
• Do  they  own  these?  Are  they  free?  
available  to  them?   • Do  they  pay  for  certain  natural  resources?  
 
 
Looking  forward:  

• What  vulnerabilities  affect  their  natural  asset  

greatly?  Positively  and  negatively?  
• How  do  their  natural  assets  affect  their  other  
assets  or  parts  of  the  framework?  How  is  the  
natural  asset  affected  by  the  other  parts?  
FINANCIAL   As  a  start:  

The  capital  base  (cash,  credit/debt,  savings,  and  other   • What  is  their  economic  status?  Are  they  
economic  assets,  including  basic  infrastructure  and   indebted?  Do  they  have  savings?  
production  equipment  and  technologies)  which  are   • Who  makes  the  financial  decisions?  
• Is  access  to  credit  available  in  their  community  
essential  for  the  pursuit  of  any  livelihood  strategy  –  
or  institution?  In  what  forms?  
what  do  they  have  financially?  
• Where  do  they  prioritize  their  spending?  
 

Looking  forward:  

• Will  having  access  to  credit  aid  them  or  not?  

• Do  their  spending  patterns  vary  at  different  
times  of  the  year?  Should  their  spending  
 patterns  change?    
• How  do  their  financial  assets  affect  their  other  
assets  or  parts  of  the  framework?  How  is  the  
financial  asset  affected  by  the  other  parts?  
PHYSICAL   As  a  start:  

The  tools  and  equipment  that  people  need  to  be   • What  do  they  own?  (Household  materials  and  
productive  along  with  the  basic  infrastructure  needed   appliances,  personal  belongings,  food,  water  
to  function  –  e.g.  affordable  transport  and  energy,   sources)  
• What  public  resources  are  available  to  them?  
decent  housing  and  access  to  information  –  what  do  
(barangay  hall,  police  stations,  roads,  
they  own  or  is  available  to  them?   hospitals/clinics,  electricity,  water  sources,  
gyms)  
• Are  the  infrastructures  in  their  area  accessible?  
• What  is  the  state  of  their  physical  assets?  
• Do  they  own  these?  
 

Looking  forward:  

• Are  there  infrastructures  that  they  need?  

(Irrigation  systems,  boats,  farming  utilities,  
etc.)  How  will  they  get  them?  
• How  do  their  physical  assets  affect  their  other  
assets  or  parts  of  the  framework?  How  is  the  
physical  asset  affected  by  the  other  parts?  
TRANSFORMING  STRUCTURES  &  PROCESSES  

It  is  also  important  to  explore  how  processes  and   As  a  start:  

organizations  operating  locally,  regionally  and  
nationally  impact  upon  households  and  communities   • What  organizations,  government  offices  and  
associations  aid  or  hinder  the  community  or  
  institution?  
• What  role  do  they  play  in  the  community  or  
Structures  include  government  offices  (local  and   institution?  
national)  and  private  organizations  (businesses,  NGOs,   • What  programs  are  available  to  them  because  
of  certain  structures?  
POs,  etc.)  
• What  laws  and  policies  aid  them?  Hinder  
  them?  
• Are  there  facets  in  their  culture  that  are  
Processes  include  laws,  policies  and  culture   beneficial?  Detrimental?  
 

Looking  forward:  

• What  vulnerabilities  are  created  or  caused  by  

certain  structures  and  processes?  
• Are  the  structures  and  processes  created  or  
influenced  by  vulnerabilities?  By  the  asset  
pentagon?  
• How  do  the  structures  and  processes  affect  the  
access  of  certain  assets?  
 
 
PUTTING  THINGS  TOGETHER:  
1. Try  to  always  show  the  connections  between  the  three  parts  of  the  framework.  
2. What  then  is  the  main  issue?  What  are  the  gravest  issues  that  they  have  to  face?  
3. Are  the  issues  known  by  the  community?  If  not,  why  not?  
4. Are  there  adaptive  strategies  that  the  community  or  institution  employ  to  address  certain  issues?  
5. What  life  outcomes  do  they  want  to  attain?  How  can  they  achieve  these?  
6. Going  forward  to  the  Theological  Reflection,  what  does  the  Catholic  Church  say  about  these  issues?  
What  have  I  learned  from  this  experience  and  analysis  that  are  related  to  what  I  have  learned  in  class?  
 
TIPS  FOR  THE  SOCIAL  ANALYSIS:  
• Always  go  back  to  your  experience  
• Ensure  that  all  that  you  put  in  your  social  analysis  and  theological  reflection  may  be  backed  by  your  
experience  or  what  you  learned  from  your  immersion  
• Do  not  begin  with  a  specific  pastoral  action  in  mind;  let  that  come  as  you  go  through  the  process  of  
the  pastoral  cycle  
• Again,  always  go  back  to  your  experience  
 
 
 
Note:    
This  social  analysis  tool  is  based  on:  
1.  Rapid  Guide  for  Missions  (Analysing  Local  Institutions  and  Livelihoods)  by  Alice  Stewart  Carloni  
2.  Lecture/input  from  Dr.  Leland  dela  Cruz  
3.  The  Sustainable  Livelihood  Approach  to  Poverty  Reduction:  An  Introduction  (Feb.  2001)  by  Lasse  Krantz