Trying to Save, Trying to Vote
Getting some positive responses on our analogous research, so we’re going to share more!
In this ongoing series of analogous research and alternative mental models for civic engagement, we developed a set of four characters that emerged through research on people and their savings behaviour and feelings towards savings. We’ll look at two this week and two next week.
No Clothes
One pattern that emerged was folks who self identified with saving and being financially responsible. But this group of people didn’t actually have much or any savings, any plans or structures to save, nor any practices. They certainly felt fine - (or remembered feeling fine until, all of a sudden, they weren’t) - and also didn’t feel comfortable identifying as someone who didn’t quite have their finances under control.
This kind of discrepant identity and behaviour is an interesting way at looking at some folks who are unlikely to vote. They don’t feel like they don’t belong, and they don’t believe that they ought to be grouped with individuals who don’t vote as a social category, but it also is the case that they don’t vote. Anecdotally, this kind of identity, and the ensuing shock when things go wrong, seems to capture a certain experience of some individuals with the 2016 election.
Against All Odds
Another character type were individuals and households, often facing incredible barriers to financial inclusion, who, nonetheless were doing their best to stay financially secure. A really inspiring bunch. But none of them felt great about themselves, or their determination in the face of adversity. Which was understandable, but also visibly draining.
Many voters still don’t feel like they’re doing a good enough job. When asked about their voting behaviour, they’ll sheepishly admit that they haven’t really followed a campaign, don’t know all the major policies of a particular candidate, and in general, feel like they’re “bad voters”. Not too dissimilar from an earlier discussion about “bad fans”. But it’s worth noting that for most people, voting is actually pretty hard. You’ve got to fight multiple times over, from being registered as a voter, staying on voter files, finding a polling station, scheduling it in a day … these may seem like duties, but they’re also quite hard! And some people do feel good about just voting, wearing their sticker proudly. But for others, it’s still tinged with guilt.
In both cases, we’re finding it interesting to look at these corresponding cases of self-presentation and identity. Their interactions with the culture and discourse of voting is pointing us to look at how similar challenges are being addressed in the financial sector. More on that to come…
A lit review of our findings around immigrant civic engagement.
Approaching the “Ladder of Participation” as referred to in civic engagement discourse. Where it works and how it doesn’t, and contextualizing our own research in terms of that model
Deep dives into some of our qualitative work done to date in analogous fields and around voting and not voting during the 2018 midterm elections
Thank you to all those who have already dropped a line and shared your thoughts. And thanks in advance to sharing this with anyone else you think might be interested.
If you think of feedback, suggestions, or people we should meet, please get in touch! You can email us at: 1stpersonprojects@thedifferenceengine.co