Downward spiral
Van der Burgt elaborates the multifaceted view of capital coined by Bourdieu into a new model for understanding the debt problem. He further expands the playing field, adding two more dimensions in addition to economic, social and cultural capital: health and ‘moral capital’ - for the latter, think of people's reputation or self-image.
Whereas different forms of capital are usually enduring in a person's life, problem debt actually puts increasing pressure on people's capabilities. Van der Burgt therefore elaborates capital into resources, the available and accessible forms of capital, on the one hand, and burdens, the liabilities, outstanding debts and vulnerabilities that undermine capital, on the other hand.
Over a lifetime, burdens and available resources can start to shift in all dimensions. Van der Burgt shows that problematic debt arises as an interplay. ‘People engage in those dimensions as in a whirlpool, and can get into problematic debt when that maelstrom presents itself as a downward spiral,’ he says.
New perspective on helping
In his research, the anthropologist Van der Burgt also qualifies as an interviewer; he visited 15 households several times to gain their trust and be able to record how each was caught up in the maelstrom of life. And invariably multiple dimensions are involved, at least three, sometimes four, and in some cases people are dragged into a vortex in which all dimensions interact.
Take Wendy, for whom Van der Burgt records another relatively simple maelstrom, with three dimensions: the shattered self-image after the bankruptcy of her own business, the quagmire of rules about additional income and benefits, and a burnout. What Van der Burgt also shows is that people are often very capable, again addressing the multiple dimensions, and certainly not primarily those of economics. For Wendy, for instance, regaining self-confidence came first, getting out of debt came next.
This offers a new perspective on debt relief, he revealed at the presentation of his thesis, where the field of social workers was also represented. ‘There are gains to be made by considering all dimensions from the outset,’ said Van der Burgt. An example is the connection between psychological and economic problems, with the recommendation that people who report with problem A should also be questioned on problem B (or C, D or E). ‘Assistance should be like a circle around people,’ says Van der Burgt.
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