Addressing poverty and social exclusion: a comparative study of 15 social programs across Europe and the Americas
摘要
The study of social practices addressing poverty and social exclusion provides an important basis for understanding processes that underpin effective interventions. This article explores, identifies, and analyzes good practices across national and international contexts, focusing on how organizational and relational processes shape intervention dynamics. The study is based on a qualitative comparative analysis of 15 programs recognized as good practices in nine countries across Europe, North America, and South America. These programs were selected based on predefined criteria related to social relevance, innovation, and recognition in the field, and constitute part of a broader research program that includes a prior Grounded Theory study and complementary thematic analysis. The analysis identifies key patterns across three dimensions: (1) intra-organizational processes, including methodological approaches, relational styles, and team dynamics; (2) perspectives of programs’ users, community leaders, and professionals; and (3) contextual variations across geographical, cultural, and linguistic groupings. The findings highlight the central role of relational and participatory processes in the development of social interventions, particularly those that promote reciprocity, engagement, and shared responsibility among stakeholders. Processes related to access to resources, relational quality, and commitment to the intervention context emerged as particularly salient across cases, although variations were observed across settings.