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How Soap Operas Fight Poverty Through Influence

soap operas fight povertySoap operas are a staple not only in U.S. television but abroad as well. Soap operas in several countries are going beyond entertainment by focusing on critical social issues in a particular country. The popularity of these television dramas has raised the possibility that soap operas can fight global poverty. Furthermore, “edutainment soaps” have often triggered important behavioral changes in the people who watch them.

Television’s Role

Television has become an integral part of people’s daily lives and an everyday accessory for every household. Televisions provide access to entertainment, but they also keep societies informed about events in other parts of the world. Additionally, technology allows people around the world to support one another and celebrate historical moments. Television programs, such as documentaries, provide information and education. Specific programs aim to promote intellectual growth in children. These shows also teach children moral values and social skills. Through movies and TV shows, people spark new conversations and begin to form new communities. Television creates a safe way to introduce different values into foreign countries. Storytelling is the easiest way to challenge social norms, which makes soap operas valuable tools.

Soap Opera’s Rising Influence

In the United States, soap operas may have lost their place as a popular type of television program. However, soap operas are a viable option in other countries, drawing in most of the community. Soap operas can attract a broad range of people, from those with high to little education. From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Casablanca, Morocco, 80 million people regularly watch at least one soap opera episode. The number of people viewing increases during Ramadan, a time of fasting. In the past, after the fast, people would traditionally listen to a “hakawti,” or storyteller, who recounts old tales. Soap operas have now taken the place of these storytellers.

These soap operas follow the same ideas as U.S. soap operas, with intricate plot lines and dramatization. Moreover, people can relate to the main characters because the characters battle adversities people see in their current societies. Topics that are considered too taboo or sensitive are often turned into storylines. The dramas have taken the place of fables by providing entertainment and education. These types of shows can bring about behavioral change within a culture and break stereotypes.

How Dramas Raise Awareness

Several television dramas have affected various issues using characters and plotlines to raise awareness. For example, one drama increased the use of condoms in South Africa after highlighting sexual practices and risks. Viewers of the program were four times more likely to use condoms to protect themselves. Another soap opera expanded involvement in literacy classes in Mexico City by nine times because the storyline involved a relatable character who was learning how to read. Additionally, a soap opera discussed the importance of children’s health insurance for low-income households and how to go about accessing it, which then increased applications for the specific insurance in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Soap operas have an important place in the Middle East. One can tackle a range of issues through television dramas, and in Arab societies, poverty is an important issue. The World Bank reported that more than 25% of children in poverty in Syria, Egypt and Morocco suffer from malnutrition. Unfortunately, the subsidies used to protect impoverished people end up in the hands of those that do not need them. Although the effectiveness of subsidies has shown itself in other countries, people in these areas resist subsidy reform. Introducing poverty reform education into soap operas could help the government educate people about how society can better fight poverty.

By introducing poverty-related reforms within television dramas, soap operas can fight global poverty. Employing these ideas in television dramas can break down the walls between different classes and introduce new ways to improve society.

– Solomon Simpson
Photo: Flickr

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Mental Health in the Dominican Republic

mental health in the Dominican Republic
Mental illnesses and disorders affect a person mentally, emotionally and physically. They also affect mood and behavior that can impact a person’s functionality in social settings. Mental health in the Dominican Republic deals with illnesses such as anxiety disorder, depression and bipolar disorder. Additionally, mental health has many components that vary from person to person. Factors such as genetic history, stress-induced situations and feelings of loneliness and isolation play a role in mental illness.

Mental Health, Illnesses and Disorders

The Dominican Republic often overlooks and ignores mental health. Unfortunately, some consider mental health to be less important than other health problems. Furthermore, mental health issues directly correlate to poverty and gender inequality. Mental health affects a person’s confidence and hinders them from putting their best foot forward. One in four people globally will battle a short-term or long-term mental illness. Expectations have determined that depression will rank the highest of all other illnesses and disorders by 2030.

Men and Mental Health Shame

Mental health in the Dominican Republic affects men more than women. Oftentimes, men do not seek medical attention for mental illnesses due to shameful feelings. Vladimir Caamano is a comedian and actor who noticed that mental health is a common point that people find humor in. However, Caamano also chose to seek help for his anxiety. He recognized that he needed to address his problem. Caamano realized that he must not allow rejections to make him feel like a failure. Thus, he began seeing a therapist so that they could help him find solutions to battle anxiety. His therapist helped him find a new perspective to help Caamano navigate life better and make smarter choices. Furthermore, his parents became positive role models for him in his journey.

The Mental Health Project

Cases of depression and anxiety in the Dominican Republic are surging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 99% of the healthcare budget does not focus on mental health needs. The Society for Family Health and PSI collaborated to start the Mental Health Project. The organizations worked with the Dominican Ministry of Health to teach essential workers how to give mental health services in primary care. Additionally, social media awareness is important for the project to reach out and communicate with millennials. The project recognizes that 15 to 29-year-old people commit one in three suicides.

Mental health in the Dominican Republic is a serious problem that the government continues to overlook. In addition, the social stigma behind mental illness severely limits people’s willingness to seek medical attention. However, organizations and projects continue to work toward a healthier future for people who suffer from mental illness.

– Amanda Ortiz
Photo: Flickr

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The Social Stigma of Homelessness in Russia

Homelessness in RussiaLike many social issues, the homelessness crises around the world has a multitude of underlying factors. To be homeless is not just about having no physical home. Being homeless is about economic, social, familial, poverty, mental health and community factors. Like many countries, homelessness in Russia has been perpetuated for decades by the historical stigma which has prevented transitional change since Russia’s move to a market economy.

Historical Ties

Homelessness in the Russian Federation dates back centuries, but the inception of its modern homelessness can be traced back to the fall of the Soviet Union in December of 1991. After this, the Russian Federation was formed and communism was replaced with a market economy. Five years after the transition, roughly 1.5 million of Russia’s 147.2 million population found themselves homeless.

In communist Russia, vagrancy and begging were punished with a minimum two-year prison sentence so many homeless were classified as felons. In addition, the state government would aggravate the problem by revoking residency permits, so many felons would assume transient lifestyles after leaving prison. After Soviet-era vagrancy laws were repealed in 1992, major cities experienced an influx of homeless populations. The new market economy saw major disparities in wealth, driving people from their traditional roles and into the streets.

The implementation of the registration system in Russia worsened the homeless crisis. The registration system required those without housing to either acquire sponsorship from a relative who already had adequate living space or to purchase real estate. This system, coupled with the new market economy, lead to widespread real estate crime. Individuals with little to no knowledge of the real estate market were easily manipulated and scammed out of affordable long-term housing.

Homelessness Today

Today, homelessness in the Russian Federation is the problem everyone knows about but no one wants to address. According to Rosstat, the government organization responsible for tracking homelessness in the Russian Federation, there are 64,000 homeless people in Russia. However, the organization has not compiled new data since 2010.  The real number is estimated to be roughly 5 million, approximately 3.5 percent of Russia’s population.  These estimates correspond with reported numbers on Russians living below the poverty line. Out of Russia’s 144.5 million population, 13.3% live below the poverty line.

One of the most common issues that the homeless in Russia face is the loss of legal documents, such as passports and residency permits. Once Russian citizens lose these documents, they are no longer eligible to receive free social or medical care and have no path to recovering these benefits.  Compounding the problem is the widespread exploitation of those without legal documents. Companies who rely on homeless populations for inexpensive labor often do not follow through on paying wages. When homeless workers are paid, they face scrutiny and exploitation from the police who are at liberty to take advantage of undocumented people.

Social Stigma

The unofficial mantra of the Russian Federation in regard to homelessness is, “out of sight, out of mind”. Although there are more homeless shelters in Russia today than in the past, they are sparse and inaccessible, many times located in the outskirts of districts. The Lyublino shelter has served as the primary center tackling the homelessness crisis for the last ten years. The shelter provides much-needed aid such as food, shelter, clothing, legal and medical services to its patrons. There are currently six shelters on the outskirts of Moscow including the largest, Lyublino, and five smaller ones. Plans for a homeless shelter in the city center were scrapped after widespread backlash from city residents. Instead, 30 vans patrol the city, picking up homeless and driving them to shelters nearly 15 kilometers outside the city center. Although these shelters are proof of progress, the societal response to ignore the issue prevents a head-on approach to tackling homelessness.

Other cities in the Russian Federation are addressing both the issue of homelessness and social stigma. In St. Petersburg, the Nochlezhka NGO feeds, counsels and shelters homeless populations. Funded mostly by donations, the crown jewel of the organization is a four-story rehabilitation center that houses roughly 50 people.  In 2017, The Moscow Times reported that 145 people passed through the shelter and 51% now live in permanent homes. In 2018, in addition to their rehabilitation program, the organization provided food, shelter and legal services to 9,000 homeless in St. Petersburg. The organization also helps to educate Russian citizens on how people become homeless and what can be done to help. Through educational efforts, they hope to eliminate the decades-old stigma of homelessness. The organization’s work has been largely successful in St. Petersburg; however, the homeless stigma still persists in Moscow where an estimated 100,000 people are homeless. Nochlezhka hopes to employ the same measures that worked in St. Petersburg to Moscow.

Unraveling the decades-long homeless crisis in the Russian Federation cannot be done overnight. The largest challenge is not just overcoming homelessness itself by providing more shelters, but eliminating the stigma associated with it. As mindsets change, organizations educate and the Russian state government stops pushing homelessness out of sight, the state can ultimately overcome one of its most trying challenges.

– Max Lang
Photo: Flickr