Issues & problems
There is a useful distinction in sociology between problems and issues. Problems are generalizations like poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. Issues are immediate, specific and realizable (actionable) aspects of problems.
Take the growing communities of 20 or so women in West Africa who have pennies to support their impoverished life situations. They have begun to see their situation as an issue rather than a problem.
How? They are now forming “saving circles” where they pool their pennies, using the growing bank to fund the greatest needs. The collaboration giving them more hope than they ever had with isolated resources.
February 19th, 2006 05:28
Community saving in Africa and in America is coming back because only through pooling resources can people that are outside of the normal circle of affluence make some headways.
Here it has become institutionalyze with Mutual Funds. You are putting your money in a communal pot but you don’t get the same fuzzy feeling.
I have been reading more and more about people living in community in America where they are pooling their resources to retire with friends.
To many it offers that sense of community.