A ten-step guide to communicating more effectively about UK poverty Flashcards
1. We often think stats speak for themselves
(that numbers like this make people care)
14 million people live in poverty in the UK.
3.7 million workers live in poverty.
8 million children and adults in working families are in poverty.
2. But facts alone don’t change how people think
3. We need to understand how people think about poverty and why
Why is it when poverty campaigners say this… “Poverty in the UK is a major problem and urgently needs to be addressed.” … people think and say this?
4. The way we all think is shaped by our beliefs and assumptions
We rely on these to make sense of stories and data. To communicate effectively, we need to understand and navigate these different - and powerful - patterns of thinking.
“Poverty is a thing of the past.”
(it only exists somewhere else.)
“People make their own lot in life.”
( It’s up to them to try harder.)
“The system is rigged so nothing will ever change.”
(We are all at the mercy of elites who manipulate the system.)
5. But these aren’t the only ways that people can think about poverty
People have other ways of seeing the issue.
6. We can tap into these beliefs to trigger a different way of thinking
“We believe in compassion and protecting others from harm.”
Shared moral values can build public will to solve poverty.
“It is simply not right that we live in a society where so many are locked in poverty.”
There’s a shared responsibility to get behind change.
“We need to redesign the way our economy works to free people from the grip of poverty.”
The design of the economy locks people in poverty - but can be redesigned
7. Talking about poverty in these ways is powerful
Knowledge, attitudes and policy preferences
i) Messages leading with poverty statistics
ii) Messages leading with compassion
Definitional understanding,
Salience,
Collective responsibility,
Collective efficacy,
Importance of structural factors,
Importance of social policy
8. We can improve these ideas to change the story we tell
This is how we build a better understanding of poverty and build support for action
9. We need to change the story people hear
We need to work together to change the story people hear, so they can think in a new way about poverty.
“Warning - this story will make your blood boil” ; Benefits made me 23st; Mum blames £120 habit on handouts. (Sun)
“War on the Scroungers”; Scheme to force the workshy into jobs or lose their benefits. (Mail)
“Through the Benefits Keyhole”; £52,00 in handouts, 12 kids, another on the way - now they’re getting a superhome (Sun)
Newspaper headlines that reinforce stereotypes
10. Our society’s shared values can help build support to solve UK poverty
In the UK we believe in compassion, justice and shared responsibility. We can and will solve poverty.
