El papel del trabajo social en el Sueño de Barrio

Una de las preocupaciones importantes en el mundo del trabajo social es la calidad de las comunicaciones dentro de la Red de Servicios Sociales y la fluidez y operatividad de las relaciones de ésta con el entorno y personas para las que trabaja. De ello depende la calidad vida de gran parte de la ciudadanía de los pueblos y los barrios de nuestras ciudades. A través de la experiencia que se está llevando a cabo en dos barrios de Albacete veremos cómo la metodología de Comunidades de Aprendizaje es también un valioso instrumento para transformar la Red, reelaborándola a partir del sueño conjunto entre profesionales del trabajo social, entidades, la comunidad de aprendizaje y las personas participantes-usuarias de la Red. El acento, en este artículo, se sitúa en la posición que las personas profesionales del trabajo social ocupan en este"Sueño de barrio" y la importancia del fomento de los actos comunicativos dialógicos en su práctica profesional como garantía de mejora y transformación social

Procesos dialógicos de planificación de los servicios sociales: el proceso de cambio en los barrios de La Milagrosa y La Estrella (Albacete)

La falta de herramientas adecuadas para la transformación social en los barrios denominados gueto favorece la aparición de dispositivos de atención social que no alcanzan los objetivos por los cuales fueron creados. Los barrios de La Milagrosa y La Estrella en Albacete son un ejemplo de cambio de esta situación. En ellos se empieza a producir una transformación social integral basada en la ciencia y el diálogo igualitario entre agentes sociales y personal investigador. Los servicios públicos rompen dinámicas burocráticas, existe un reconocimiento mutuo entre servicios sociales y ciudadanía que activa las motivaciones y capacidades de aquellas personas que, hasta el momento, tenían un rol más bien pasivo en la relación servicios sociales-usuario. La población de esos guetos cambia la percepción que tiene del Estado y de sus servicios públicos y así se desarrolla una ciudadanía activa que mejora la vida en dos barrios marcados por interrelaciones de personas de muy diversas procedencias

Dialogic reconstruction of memories of violent sexual-affective relationships via dialogic gatherings of 'Radical Love'

When a violent intimate relationship occurs, this experience becomes part of the person's autobiographical memory. Given its prospective functions, the reconstruction of those memories of violent sexual-affective relationships could be an effective tool to prevent future revictimization. The study presented in this article examined the impact of a dialogic gathering of the Radical Love book on the reconstruction of memories of violent sexual- affective relationships. A sample of 48 young women, who had experienced at least one violent sexual affective-relationship were divided into an experimental (n = 24) and a control group (n = 24); they were asked to recall a violent sexual- affective relationship and write it down. The memory reports were collected in two stages. Between both reports, the experimental group read some chapters of the Radical Love book and engaged in a dialogic gathering. Memory quality was measured through the Memory Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ-SF). In the intervention group, the intensity of the emotion associated with the memory recall decreased, and participants became more critical towards the memory of what happened and more aware of the reactions and sensations experienced during the relationship. Dialogic gatherings with Radical Love can support the prevention of gender violence revictimization via transformative memory reconstruction

Grassroots Roma women organizing for social change : a study of the impact of 'Roma women student gatherings'

This investigation complies with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, and resolution P7_TA 0312 of 9 September 2010, of the European Parliament on the Situation of the Roma People and Free Movement in the European Union [44,45]. To protect the participants' identities and personal data, pseudonyms have been used. Consent forms with detailed information about the study and an explanation that they have the right to withdraw from it at any time were provided to all the persons participating in the research.Scientific literature has focused on the constraints that Roma women have faced to overcome the racism and inequalities that they and the Roma people as a whole have suffered. However, less attention has been paid to how Roma women organize to challenge this reality. Drawing on a qualitative case study about the Roma Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen (Barcelona) and specifically on the analysis of one of its activities, the 'Roma women student gatherings' (known as 'Trobades' in Catalan), this article contributes evidence to show how Roma women are fighting to improve their own living conditions and those of their people by organizing at the grassroots level. The communicative analysis reveals the impacts that these gatherings have on the individual and societal levels. First, the gatherings have impacts on the individual level, as many of the women who participate in them are exposed to and embrace new educational projects, thus acquiring more skills to be better prepared to later access the labor market. Second, their impact is also evidenced on the societal level, as the gatherings enhance Roma women's associational life, resulting in new mobilizations and often making women who were once in the shadows become community leaders

Grassroots Roma Women Organizing for Social Change: A Study of the Impact of 'RomaWomen Student Gatherings'

Abstract: Scientific literature has focused on the constraints that Roma women have faced to overcome the racism and inequalities that they and the Roma people as a whole have su ered. However, less attention has been paid to how Roma women organize to challenge this reality. Drawing on a qualitative case study about the Roma Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen (Barcelona) and specifically on the analysis of one of its activities, the 'Roma women student gatherings' (known as 'Trobades' in Catalan), this article contributes evidence to show how Roma women are fighting to improve their own living conditions and those of their people by organizing at the grassroots level. The communicative analysis reveals the impacts that these gatherings have on the individual and societal levels. First, the gatherings have impacts on the individual level, as many of the women who participate in them are exposed to and embrace new educational projects, thus acquiring more skills to be better prepared to later access the labor market. Second, their impact is also evidenced on the societal level, as the gatherings enhance Roma women's associational life, resulting in new mobilizations and often making women who were once in the shadows become community leaders

Dialogic literary gatherings and out-of-home child care: Creation of new meanings through classic literature

Research on out-of-home child care has revealed that foster care programmes focused on educational attainment and reading have the potential to improve the academic outcomes of children in care. However, no studies have examined which elements of these programmes positively benefit children's emotional well-being. This article presents evidence of the positive effects of implementing a successful educational action, dialogic literary gatherings, in a children's residential care institution. A qualitative study using a communicative-oriented methodology was conducted and involved five participant observations and eight daily life stories with children in out-of-home care in Catalonia (Spain). The children's reflections demonstrated that reading classic books, such as Dickens' Oliver Twist, deeply influenced their feelings and self-conceptions and created new and exciting meaning in their lives

You are not alone: the (in)visible homeless and the role of social workers and related professionals

The scientific literature has already shown that health information is a factor that contributes to reduce health disparities, improving the situation of vulnerable groups, such as homeless people. However, less is known about the ways that health information has been spread by social workers and related professionals to homeless people in the first moments of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work analyses some social work actions related to health information addressed to homeless people and to identify its impact during the lockdown in Barcelona. This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with social workers and related professionals involved in developing interventions related to health information with homeless people in Barcelona. The data analysis is based on the communicative methodology to identify exclusionary and transformative dimensions. The results show the improvement in the health information of homeless people during the pandemic through the design and development of actions facilitated and promoted by some social workers and related professionals. The findings demonstrate the role that some social workers and related professionals have played in the improvement of health information of homeless people during the lockdown in Barcelona

Trabajo Social con familias roma inmigrantes en situación de exclusión residencial. Héroes y heroínas invisibles sosteniendo el impacto de la pandemia por covid-19

El proyecto I+D+i ROM21 tiene por objetivo dilucidar acciones sociales que han ayudado a superar el impacto de la pandemia en la comunidad gitana, poniendo especial énfasis en aquellas lideradas por las mujeres en interacción con diferentes agentes sociales. Hasta ahora este tema no ha sido estudiado a fondo en el caso de familias roma inmigrantes sin hogar. Así, el presente artículo aborda el impacto de la pandemia por covid-19 sobre las familias gitanas en situación de exclusión residencial desde la perspectiva de los/as profesionales del Trabajo Social y profesiones afines.Esta investigación cualitativa sigue los preceptos de la metodología comunicativa. Las principales técnicas utilizadas han sido la revisión documental, las entrevistas en profundidad, los relatos comunicativos de vida y los grupos de discusión comunicativos. Los resultados muestran cómo, en los contextos analizados, la presencia de la variable inmigrante tiene una significación distinta tanto en el impacto de la pandemia como en las respuestas dadas en aquel momento desde la propia comunidad, así como por parte de los y las profesionales. Se desvelan también orientaciones para intervenciones sociales que minimizan o transforman el impacto negativo de la pandemia tanto en el contexto pandémico como el pos pandémico en los casos estudiados

Social Work During the COVID-19 Crisis: Responding to Urgent Social Needs

Social work during the COVID-19 crisis has faced one of the most challenging times to cover urgent social needs in an uncertain scenario. This study analyzes the immediate responses in social work to vulnerable groups in the first 15 days of the pandemic in Barcelona, one of the most affected areas worldwide by COVID-19. The sample for this qualitative study includes 23 semistructured interviews with social workers from different fields of intervention, from general approaches (primary care) to specific ones (health, ageing, homeless, and justice). The data analysis followed the communicative methodology, including transformative and exclusionary dimensions, and the analytical categories focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social services users, the organizational responses of social workers, and the impact of the interventions to cover urgent social needs of attendees. The interventions have been accompanied by an improvement in communication channels with vulnerable groups, ensuring an understanding of the situation of families and individuals, and covering the most urgent social needs. The study shows the key role of social workers from diverse social attention tools and their contribution to the sustainability of social services with a long-term impact

Adults with special educational needs participating in interactive learning environments in adult education: Educational, social, and personal improvements. A case study

Previous scientific contributions show that interactive learning environments have contributed to promoting learners' learning and development, as interaction and dialogue are key components of learning. When it comes to students with special needs, increasing evidence has demonstrated learning improvements through interaction and dialogue. However, most research focuses on children's education, and there is less evidence of how these learning environments can promote inclusion in adult learners with SEN. This article is addressed to analyse a case study of an interactive learning environment shared by adults with and without special needs. This case shows several improvements identified by adult learners with special needs participating in this study. Based on a documental analysis and a qualitative study, this study analyses a context of participatory and dialogic adult education. From the analysis undertaken, the main results highlight some improvements identified in the lives of these adult women and men with SEN, covering educational improvements, increased feeling of social inclusion, and enhanced well-being