Autor(es): Minas, Maria ; Ribeiro, Maria Teresa ; Anglin, James P.
Data: 2020
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/63117
Origem: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
Assunto(s): Reciprocity; Socio-economic disadvantage; Community development; Well-being
Topics of societal concern such as mental health and poverty reduction increasingly require action programs which operate within broad psycho-social and social justice perspectives. Models of practice centered in individual needs, although important, are not powerful enough to bring about social change when they operate in isolation. In this article we present the findings resulting from the observation of programs engaged in collaborating with socio-economically disadvantaged individuals, families and communities. The programs selected for study were nationally or internationally recognized for the quality and innovation of their methodologies or for having been subjected to scientific attention; some met both criteria. Altogether, 15 programs were visited, in North and South America and Europe. Through a grounded theory methodology, the processes of data collection and analysis led to the development of a theoretical framework which identifies a continuum of programs aimed at supporting the development of individuals, families and communities and which has at its core the central process of building reciprocity. This article presents and describes the continuum of programs and how each type relates to the process of building reciprocity and establishes links with other relevant and significant concepts in the framework. Finally, implications for further research are explored.
