The implications of "pulldown" on the intensification of poverty in Mozambique

Abstract

This article analyzes the socioeconomic implications of the phenomenon known as "PullDown" regarding the perpetuation and radicalization of poverty in Mozambique. Characterized by dynamics of negative social leveling—including interpersonal sabotage, hostility toward the success of others, and socializing coercion—PullDown acts as an inhibitor of both individual and collective progress. Adopting a qualitative approach based on a systematic literature review, the research aims to identify how these psychosocial attitudes become institutionalized within Mozambican communities, turning into drivers of economic stagnation and social exclusion. The results demonstrate that intra-community sabotage disrupts the development of micro-enterprises, weakens social capital, and erodes the effectiveness of public policies aimed at poverty alleviation. Additionally, the study found that young people and women are the segments most vulnerable to such reprisals, often being discouraged from pursuing socioeconomic advancement due to the reputational cost imposed by the collective. The article concludes that PullDown constitutes an invisible yet structural barrier that perpetuates the poverty trap in the country. Overcoming this scenario requires multidimensional interventions encompassing civic education, the strengthening of inclusive leadership, and the fostering of a culture of cooperation, so that individual progress comes to be embraced as a collective asset.