The right to dream: A cross-sectional look at poverty alleviation programs.

Studies on social programs reveal the absence of a cross-sectional perspective capable of identifying common aspects that improve the living conditions of their participants while also contributing to poverty alleviation. To detect such elements, we examined the transformations in the experiences and meanings associated with poverty and its alleviation by conducting semistructured interviews and focus groups with participants and intervention team members that implemented six social programs in Chile and Peru. We conducted a descriptive and relational analysis guided by Grounded Theory, which revealed three overarching elements: notions of poverty, notions of the overcoming of poverty, and changes necessary for overcoming poverty. Lastly, based on a complex view of poverty and considering the contributions of community psychology, we propose that interventions in this field must create meaningful relational spaces that restore participants' objective and subjective rights, such as the right to dream.

The value of women coming together: Effects and practices of a gender-focused community intervention funded by a government agency.

The gender focus has been incorporated into public policies as a strategy to reduce gender inequity and overcome discriminatory stereotype behaviors. However, the state or institutional feminism has been questioned for being uncritical and not very transformative, where the critical and transformative nature of community psychology offer valuable opportunities. In this context, effects and practices of a community intervention funded by a government agency and aimed at the de-naturalization of gender stereotypes and its consequences in everyday life with vulnerable women, mostly older adults, are analyzed. Using a qualitative methodology, interviews and focus groups with women who participated in the intervention, community leaders, and key actors were conducted. A total of 46 people took part in the investigation. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory. Facilitating and hindering factors influencing the gender-focused community intervention implemented were identified. Furthermore, effects linked to community participation among women are regarded as affirmative acts in response to social vulnerability, with self-care, co-care, and empowerment regarding gender stereotypes standing out as the main results. Finally, the value of women's gatherings in community spaces, linking them with the contributions of feminist theory, and outline points of tension and challenges facing gender-focused community interventions are discussed.

Care in social policies from a comprehensive perspective: A proposal to conceptualize and address it based on community and psychosocial praxis.

The literature establishes the importance of care in the context of situations leading to burnout. However, there are theoretical limitations that make it difficult to understand its role within the social area. The article presents a proposal to conceptualize and address care in social policies from a comprehensive perspective, based on the community praxis of psychosocial teams. Results came from evaluating a care intervention with 35 participants from three teams focused on homeless people and two teams that worked with relatives of prison inmates. Interviews and focus groups were held, which were then analyzed Grounded Theory methods. As for the questions "Who is being taken care of?" and "Who is in charge of providing care?," four instances were defined: Workers, teams, self-care, and joint care. The article discusses the scope and theoretical challenges of care, as well as the key role played by institutions in care in community-based professional praxis. In addition, the authors reflect on the importance of comprehensive care for community psychology in today's social interventions.