Social Misfortune / La Malchance sociale

Social distress is not caused exclusively by global factors. Economic pressure and deteriorating social structures have made some people more fragile than they were in the past. Cases of failure, inability to adapt, or difficulty in adjusting are common and extremely diverse, but they can be explained by certain attitudes and behaviour patterns that are primarily characterised by low self-esteem, resignation and the inability of living up to one's promise. The failure of the self, and of its relations to the world and to others, lies at the core of why a person's life can be regarded as ?a failure?.Pierre Mannoni explores the different patterns of behaviour that can lead to failure. He proposes more adequate types of preventative behaviour and treatment, first of all through direct actions in the field to help those who are having difficulties, and secondly through a process of socialisation and social training.Recreating a social bond is a national imperative. But helping people in difficulty also requires a thorough understanding of personal and I'dividual failures. The social and personal aspect must go hand-in-hand.Pierre Mannoni, a specialist in social and clinical psychology, is a lecturer at the University of Nice. He is a member of the Association Française de Psychopathologie Collective et de Psychiatrie Sociale.