28th International Congress of Psychology August 8 ... - U-netSURF

are created, negotiated and transformed. This exercise is to assess the current status of cognitive
psychology and project its future.
1051.2 Participation and empowerment as democratising processes Latin American experiences,
M. Montero, Venezuela Central University, Caracas, Venezuela
The principles and basic characteristics of that type of practice carried out in several Latin
American countries are presented, and by means of a content analysis based on categories
extracted from published reports of research and interventions of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the effects of the practice based in a community social
psychology critical and liberating oriented are discussed. Three aspects are highlighted:
participation, empowerment and democratisation due to their outstanding role in the processes of
social transformation achieved by certain communities. Factors obstructing similar outcomes are
also presented.
1051.3 Contributions of psychology to education in Puerto Rico, M. Bravo-Corrada, Puerto
Rico University, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Educational system in the Caribbean-island of Puerto Rico faces multiple problems, like school
violence, poor teacher-student relations and low student achievement. Describes efforts by
psychologists to study or tackle these problems, especially author’s experiences in research and
evaluation as member of multidisciplinary teams: (1) Longitudinal two-wave survey of children
11-17 years, to examine effect of positive school environment in protecting from or moderating
risk for psychopathology in adolescents facing adversity. (2) Evaluation of two projects aiming to
enhance K-12 students’ math and science learning by improving future teachers’ preparation, and
empowering in-service teachers, through partnerships between universities and K-12 system.
1051.4 Challenges and developments of psychology in argentina facing social crisis, S.
Seidmann, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The crisis of the neoliberal model brought for Argentina, the breakout of one of the worst
economical and social crisis of its history, a real institutional break down. The social map changed,
with a growing population polarization and the daily sinking of thousands of people underneath
poverty level, not being able to satisfy basic needs. New social problems arose as well, novel
replies and obstacles, different ways of social protest and diverse groups built up collective social
movements which Psychology lightens, guides and contributes to social change by discussing
social order, its historical conditions of producing and reproducing itself.
1051.5 Contributions of psychology to solving social problems in Latin America: The case of
Mexico, J. Infante, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Latin America countries need to find solutions for social problems impeding their socioeconomic
development or the fullness of life for their inhabitants. In Mexico, the main such issues are:
poverty, unemployment, social and domestic violence, addition to drugs, corruption,
democratization and also, the social consequences of natural catastrophes. The intervention of
psychologists and psychology embraces different levels and possibilities, assuming that
subjectivity is a particular dimension in the comprehension of problems and the derived action.
We analyze the strategic actions performed by psychologists in Mexico in order to solve the
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