3 research outputs found
Salud Callejera: Mobilizing Cuidado at the Margins of Neoliberalism; Reimagining Care for People Experiencing Homelessness in Buenos Aires
On any given night, thousands of individuals sleep on the streets of the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Without secure housing, people in situación de calle (experiencing homelessness) suffer elevated rates of physical trauma, transmissible and chronic diseases, and symptoms of depression. Nevertheless, two-thirds of this population do not receive annual health consultations, with the majority solely accessing the emergency department when their conditions severely worsen. This study finds that municipal services and, to a lesser extent, the public health system render individuals responsible for housing insecurity by adopting a neoliberal subjectivity of homo economicus, medicalizing poverty as a symptom of psychosocial illness potentially curable through economic and social rehabilitation. Those who do not conform with such pathologization or other employment-based demands confront heightened criminalization and exclusion from care services. As an alternative response, this project investigates the actions of civil society networks, which employ a contrary notion of homo politicus, reimagining care as a collective right and site of political mobilization. This thesis draws upon interviews with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, members of civil society organizations, public health providers, and municipal social workers, as well as observations from street-outreach
Salud callejera: La Atención Primaria de Salud en los márgenes de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Redes de cuidado de una organización de la Sociedad Civil para personas en situación de calle / Street health: Primary Care in the margins of the Ciudad de Buenos Aires Care networks of a Civil Society organization for individuals experiencing homelessness
En 2017, unos 4.393 individuos pernoctaron en las calles de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA). Sin una vivienda segura, las personas en situación de calle (PSC) padecen tasas más elevadas de traumatismos, enfermedades transmisibles y crónicas y síntomas de depresión. No obstante, dos terceras partes de las PSC no realizan controles anuales de salud, con la mayoría solo atendiéndose en la guardia cuando se vuelve grave su condición. Frente a brechas percibidas en servicios estatales, se plantea indagar en las acciones de cuidado de redes de la Sociedad Civil (SC) para abordar las necesidades sanitarias de las PSC en CABA y facilitar su acceso a la Atención Primaria de Salud (APS). Se realizaron entrevistas con una integrante y usuarias de la organización socio-civil, SUMAR Solidario, cuatro proveedores de salud y una asistente social del gobierno de la ciudad, además de observaciones de campo. Para proteger a los sujetos vulnerables, se adoptaron medidas metodológicas acerca del comportamiento del investigador y las identidades de los participantes. Se analizan los resultados mediante un esquema temático por efectores de servicios y multinivel por dimensiones de cuidado, subrayando: una estructura tutelar de los programas estatales en la que los destinarios ocupan un rol pasivo frente una oferta inadecuada de asistencia; una paradoja entre intentos programáticos inclusivos y prácticas organizacionales expulsivas del sistema público de salud; acciones de empoderamiento mediante redes informales y vínculos subjetivos de SUMAR y un proceso de fomentar el autocuidado entre pares. Para concluir, se discute la falta de articulación formal entre el Estado y la SC, además del rol potencial de cercanía de la última en las políticas públicas de salud.
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On any given night in 2017, an estimated 4,393 individuals slept on the streets of the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA). Without secure housing, individuals experiencing homelessness (PSC) suffer elevated rates of physical trauma, transmissible and chronic diseases, and symptoms of depression. Nevertheless, two-thirds of PSC do not realize annual health consults, with the majority solely accessing the emergency department when their conditions severely worsen. This study investigates the actions of Civil Society (SC) networks in confronting perceived gaps in state services to address the specific health needs of PSC in CABA and facilitate access to primary care. Interviews with a member and users of the non-governmental organization, SUMAR Solidario, four health professionals, and a municipal social service worker, as well as field observations, are conducted. In order to protect vulnerable subjects, methods are adopted concerning both the investigator’s comportment and participants’ identities. Results are analyzed thematically by service providers and multi-layered by dimensions of care, ultimately suggesting: a tutelary structure in state programs, in which beneficiaries occupy a passive role in the receipt of inadequate assistance; a paradox between inclusive programmatic intents and expulsive organizational practices of the public health system; actions of empowerment through informal networks and affective links of SUMAR; and a process of reinforcing strategies of peer self-care. To conclude, the lack of formal articulation between the State and SC is discussed, as well as the latter’s potential role of proximity in public health politics