Why Shouldn't The Poor Get Rich?Irina Shurygina
If it is that simple why should not the poor get rich finding a highly paid job or starting their own business? Here is the answer to this question obtained by me from the analysis of interviews with the college and university graduates who work at state enterprises. Those working at budget enterprises are not in a hurry to exchange their meagre state salaries for free-lance work for two simple reasons: they either cannot or do not want to do that. Our respondents from such organisations have been split into two distinct groups. The first consisted of those who in principle would like to change their job but who believe that they cannot face the competition. More often than not they refer to some external insurmountable circumstances beyond their control: age, health, appearance, "non-market" profession, lack of suitable work places.
- These days it is very difficult to find a job for someone who is fifty as I am.
Often people are simply afraid to go over to commercial structures. As is seen from the above, fear of failure paralyses people. They believe it is not worth trying because nothing will come out of it: the wrong age, poor health, unsuitable education etc. Besides, the private sector frightens them off with its lack of stability, immorality and a high risk of becoming involved in criminal dealings. The common feature of this group of people is the feeling of helplessness and dependence - first of all on the authorities. Their only hope is that there will be some changes in the country.
- We hope things will improve, that there will come a time when the government will pay attention to us doctors. By ourselves we cannot do anything. The second group includes those who do not want to tie their destiny to commercial structures. They are motivated by their fears and beliefs, sometimes true, sometimes mythological, but they have made their choice on their own and are not in a hurry to blame some external forces for their own circumstances:"It seems to me that the reason for failure is in internal rather than external circumstances. In any case in their interviews there are fewer references to the state, authorities and the government. Some respondents openly speak of poverty as their conscious choice, as a certain matter of principle. Most respondents believe they cannot change their occupation even though it does not "feed" them anymore. Many are sure that "favourite" and "interesting" work is incompatible with money.
- This seems to be my main mistake. We make an emphasis not on material well-being but on interesting work that would develop a person and become central to him. Many representatives of this group continue to assess their social standing proceeding from the assumption that higher education and related occupations are highly prestigious. For them changing their job, however poorly paid, for a less skilled employment is tantamount to a complete ruin of their life ideals.
- I would like my son to become a somebody. Not to be well-off but to achieve something, to respect himself. Not like, for instance, one of our friends who graduated from the Moscow Construction Institute and now delivers cakes by car.
- Many have managed to find their place in this life. Some have gone to the market. We cannot do it - it is distasteful to us, it is not for us.
This position reflects the opposition of "spirituality" and intellect to ‘dirty and callous mercantilism', which is so traditional for our society. One could of course say that these people demonstrate lack of flexibility, inability and reluctance to adapt to new life conditions. However, one should not forget that these are college and university graduates who made considerable effort to master their profession and to succeed in it and for whom their work is a means of self-realisation. In essence their position, too, is the manifestation of fear "to lose oneself". It is typical mostly of men who have no families. Women who have to think of their children cannot afford to be so "proud". They either hope that ultimately they will be able to earn money by their profession, or believe that their situation is not yet so difficult that they have to work only for money, or in some cases simply cannot overcome their fears. The survey was conducted in two cities - Ivanovo and Moscow. It is noteworthy that in Ivanovo - a city with depressed economy, high level of unemployment and a much larger proportion of poor people than in Moscow - most respondents belong to the first group. Almost all the people placed into the second group live in Moscow where there are more chances to find a job and where poverty itself in most cases does not have such an ugly face. In other words, the more difficult are objective life circumstances the fewer are real chances to change one's life, the stronger the feeling of helplessness and dependence on the authorities. And consequently there are fewer people who "do not want" to become rich and many more people who realise that they cannot do it.
Sometimes views and behaviour of people whom I had a chance to meet seem irrational and "wrong", but sometimes, on the contrary, evoke a feeling of respect. My task is not to grade people but to show the ideologists of the market society that the problem of poverty is not as simple as it seems to them.
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All the 1991 market reforms were based on a certain ideology. Its essence was that Russia "was building a society of unlimited opportunities" where each person who is not lazy and stupid and has four limbs and a head on his shoulders can find his own niche. Accordingly, poverty was looked upon as a vice because it was considered to be a consequence of idleness and lack of initiative, while the idea of social justice was rejected as a relic of the socialist past. Today poverty is predominantly associated in people's minds with work in the state sector of the economy. It would seem then that the obvious way to overcome poverty is to transfer to the private sector or become an independent entrepreneur.
