What are the conditions of control?

[Sarah Lyall]

This blog from my colleague at NEF, Juliette Hough, comes highly recommended! It's all about how being in control matters, and how we can get there. I have posted an excerpt below. Please share and discuss!

Example tweet: Being in control matters. What does it mean for our lives? bit.ly/1lok8XJ

www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/being-in-control-matters-for-everyone

As a first step, we need a better understanding of what ‘control’ means, what it consists of and how it is exercised.  NEF recently conducted research for a national grants funder which explored these questions. We interviewed a range of individuals in the charity sector and asked how far their work helped others to have more control, and what that meant in practice.  We tried to find out what the conditions of control are; what it means to put control into practice; and, what the likely effects of exercising control are.  Based on our findings, we developed a model of life control, summed up below.

Control is not just an individual asset: how far we have control over our own lives is strengthened or weakened by our social connectedness.  Nor does control, as we understand it, mean having the final say or always having things your own way. In a fair and equal society, control means sharing power and resources, entering into debate and negotiation, having your voice heard and valued, and having the same chances as everyone else.