TY - JOUR
T1 - Client Perspectives Regarding the Effects of a Community-centred Programme Aimed at Reducing Poverty and Social Exclusion
AU - Levy, Drorit
AU - Freiberg, Smadar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/9/1
Y1 - 2022/9/1
N2 - People struggling with poverty and social exclusion constitute the principal population targeted by social services around the world. To deal with this social problem, many intervention plans have been developed. In Israel, the ‘Otzma’ Centre programme was adopted in 2007 by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. The programme’s goals are reducing clients’ economic distress and social exclusion through various social work methods, with the core principle being the population’s participation. The current qualitative study focused on a community programme for reducing poverty and exclusion. It was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with thirteen women and two men aged thirty-five to fifty-eight years who participated in the programme. The study had two central goals: (i) understanding clients’ experience of living in poverty and (ii) understanding clients’ perceptions of the contribution of a community programme to their lives. Research findings included participants’ most salient perceptions: namely, the multidimensional experience of dealing with poverty, becoming knowledgeable about their rights and the change process in terms of economic, personal and family issues. A finding that stood out in its absence concerned partnership and participation. The study enriches the literature regarding community intervention programmes, which aim to reduce poverty and exclusion. Practical and theoretical considerations are discussed.
AB - People struggling with poverty and social exclusion constitute the principal population targeted by social services around the world. To deal with this social problem, many intervention plans have been developed. In Israel, the ‘Otzma’ Centre programme was adopted in 2007 by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. The programme’s goals are reducing clients’ economic distress and social exclusion through various social work methods, with the core principle being the population’s participation. The current qualitative study focused on a community programme for reducing poverty and exclusion. It was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with thirteen women and two men aged thirty-five to fifty-eight years who participated in the programme. The study had two central goals: (i) understanding clients’ experience of living in poverty and (ii) understanding clients’ perceptions of the contribution of a community programme to their lives. Research findings included participants’ most salient perceptions: namely, the multidimensional experience of dealing with poverty, becoming knowledgeable about their rights and the change process in terms of economic, personal and family issues. A finding that stood out in its absence concerned partnership and participation. The study enriches the literature regarding community intervention programmes, which aim to reduce poverty and exclusion. Practical and theoretical considerations are discussed.
KW - client participation
KW - community programme
KW - exclusion
KW - multidimensional poverty
KW - social policy
KW - social services
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145668017&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/bjsw/bcac006
DO - 10.1093/bjsw/bcac006
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AN - SCOPUS:85145668017
SN - 0045-3102
VL - 52
SP - 3697
EP - 3720
JO - British Journal of Social Work
JF - British Journal of Social Work
IS - 6
ER -