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Community psychology and social policies: tensions in the work of chilean community psychologists

Abstract:

Since the 1990s in Chile, interventions in community psychology have been developed mainly within the symbolic, theoretical and resources framework of social policies (Alfaro, 2012). This relationship has been characterized by a tension between neoliberal public policy models and the ethical-political dimensions of Community Psychology. This research analyzes the content of the stories that professionals who work in social policy programs in Chile build about the tensions that arise between their work, social policies and the principles of Community Psychology. We interviewed ten community psychologists, who have between 2 and 26 years of experience working in institutions that execute social policies. It is reported that the tension in professional work in public policy is expressed in the degree of autonomy granted by the work spaces, the professional dispute of their work in public policy and the personal consequences of professional tensions.