situation t of which perceived. sive reacurn down pecialists are needcks the reecific” or even to a ibility for the interr the user, onal”, and into play person (a tile state) ce him or sising his acteristics and dia-
chanisms t only our user”, but our ability
Power relations
Dependency? Empowerment?
egard the erally, our table and affect our level, the whether ufficiently his or her may well ent from e one for gned. The ser’s idea e, an idea previous his or her
3 country of origin and in the host country), but also on the information which we supply or fail to supply. It is here that the question of methods of communication and active identification of users’ needs takes on its full importance. There is a need for adjustments in terms of communication (multilingual information, working with interpreters) and for co-operation with representatives of users and their groups. Then comes a second aspect, connected with our discursive practices and the way in which we decide how to act. In this respect, there is a need for reflection and for analysis of the norms underlying our practices. Are our concepts of users’ needs open to diversity? Do we take account of the specific needs connected with the cultural representations and practices which are important to users? Do we take sufficient account of the way in which these representations and practices are affected by migration (where, for instance, family organisation, education and religious practices are concerned)? Next comes a third aspect, one which strongly affects the relationship between professionals and users, namely the location of their meeting on a ground hallmarked by inequalities in terms of power, resources and scope for action. This is where the concept of the user and his or her needs and rights takes on its full importance. If we manage to involve users actively in dialogue about their needs and possible ways of improving their situation, giving serious consideration to their subjective perspective, we can create circumstances which will enable them to continue (or to resume) taking responsibility for their own destiny and to gain greater control of their own situation. 33
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Sociocultural dimension
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Legislative contexts
Historical contexts
Collective imagination
Rights/ conceptions of minorities
Historical relations with minorities
Images of those who are culturally different
Law defines the ways in which it is possible to help users. Our legislation and the scope that it offers for people to claim rights and protection on the grounds of membership of a vulnerable group influence the way in which requests are worded and the way in which minority groups form or consolidate (Wicker, 1997). When users meet professionals, the legal framework plays a crucial role which goes well beyond a mere definition of rights and the provision of services. And the meeting between a professional and a user from a minority group revives images often connected with the historical relations between a society and those represented as “others”, those who are culturally different and often associated with “the Other who was colonised”, “racially” different or even “exotic”, from a remote and fascinating culture. Cultural research in England (Hall, 1997) and more recent work by historians investigating colonial history and representations of “others who were colonised” (Boulay, 2005; Bancel, 2002) show the close link between a still very current imagery (found in advertisements and films) and our countries’ history. We need to give thought to this imagery, especially because stereotyped images of others are unconsciously absorbed and sometimes, without us realising, emerge in situations where relations with users are tense, either in the form of rejection of the Other of whom we are afraid, or in that of fascination with the Other exotic enough to attract us, but not ultimately regarded as a subject (Sturm, 2006).
The sociocultural and political dimension
To understand what happens when professionals meet users, we need to take account of the sociocultural dimensions of their respective positions. The main aspect of the sociocultural dimension is the political and legislative context of the country in which the services are offered, a context in which conceptions of the Other (foreigner, immigrant, member of a minority) are used to define their rights and duties. In addition, the sociocultural dimension is affected by the traces of history and the historical relations between a group or nation and those people regarded as culturally different (the historical relations between the host society and the minority to which the user belongs). The historical aspects are closely linked to the collective imagination where otherness is concerned.
As the meeting between the user and the professional brings together two positions, two concepts of otherness marked by the institutional context of their meeting and by the dynamic relationship between them, the process is a complex one. In order to understand this complexity and take effective action, a process of reflection and a shift of focus are necessary, with the situation being analysed in its different dimensions. This
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Translation, mediation and assessment: communication tools