Opinion

Social inequalities worsen during Christmas

Image
Pexels
An idealized Christmas, an impossible Christmas. Source: Pexels.

For some people in vulnerable situations, the arrival of Christmas can become a bitter period that further accentuates the social and economic inequalities they are experiencing.

Noemí Expósito

Head of the socio-educational area at the Fundació Comtal. 

Social expectations impose on us a Christmas model based on consumption: gifts, hearty meals, shiny decorations... But what happens to those people who can't afford it?

We work with vulnerable families, many of whom have to struggle to make ends meet, especially during these times. For these families, the material demands associated with Christmas represent a burden that often generates feelings of guilt and exclusion in the face of an "idealized" Christmas model that they cannot achieve.

Loneliness and social exclusion: when the holidays are not for everyone

Christmas is also a time to get together with the people we love. But what about those people who don't have a solid family or social network? At Fundació Comtal we work with children who have grown up without a stable family, or with young newcomers who have left their family in their country of origin and find themselves in our home without a support network.

For these people, Christmas is synonymous with loneliness and vulnerability. While many homes are filled with conversations and reunions, others do not experience the same reality. 

Housing insecurity 

Housing insecurity particularly affects families with few resources, who often have to live in small apartments, with precarious conditions and a lack of security in their rental situation. This problem, aggravated by gentrification and the pressure of tourism, has turned the right to decent housing into a privilege for many of the people living in the neighborhood.

During Christmas, these situations become more painful. The inability to adapt their homes to social expectations – whether due to the lack of space to receive relatives or the inability to bear the cost of heating – generates a feeling of exclusion.

Furthermore, loneliness and isolation are experienced more intensely in a neighborhood where many residents have been displaced by rising rent prices, thus losing their community support network. This uprooting, the result of a structural housing crisis, contributes to social inequality and makes it difficult for many people to enjoy Christmas as a period of reunion and excitement.

Claiming decent housing as a priority

If we want to move towards more inclusive celebrations, we cannot forget that access to housing is essential to guaranteeing a life with dignity throughout the year. Public policies are needed that protect people and ensure that everyone, regardless of their income, can have a safe place to live and celebrate.

We must rethink our priorities: less consumerism and more real solidarity.

The people we work with need real and lasting solutions: guaranteed rights, access to decent housing, stable employment and a social support network. These are the real mechanisms to combat inequalities.

Towards a fairer and more inclusive Christmas

Despite technological and economic advances, well-being is not distributed equitably. Poverty, job insecurity and unwanted loneliness affect a large part of the population, and these problems become more evident when consumption and celebration become the social norm.

Only when we deeply and collectively address the causes of inequality will we be able to move towards a society where Christmas is truly a time of hope, justice and social cohesion for everyone.

Rethinking Christmas involves reviewing our expectations and ways of living it, seeking a balance between personal enjoyment and collective solidarity. This would not only improve the lives of many people, but would also bring us closer to a truly inclusive Christmas, where happiness does not depend on the ability to consume, but on the ability to connect, care and share.

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