COUV ACTES - Psychologie communautaire

Community Psychology: Common Values, Diverse PracticesMethodThe ecological engagement method (Cecconello & Koller, 2004) was employed during all the steps of thisresearch. That means the “insertion” of the researchers in the judiciary environment with frequent and proximalcontact with the participants. Data collection instruments were: field book with in loco observations and openinterviews. Data interpretation followed procedures of textual analysis of the field book and the interviewtranscripts.ParticipantsFour professionals of the judiciary environment: one (01) district attorney, one (01) judge, one (01) publicdefender and one (01) social worker;Poor families and their members in judicial conflict who searched the service in Rio Grande-RS/BRAZIL;Follow up of one family.ResultsAccording to the analysis of the observations and of the transcripts texts of the interviews -withprofessionals and families-, the main unities of categories led to these interpretations:With the professionalsIn general, their beliefs´ system is organized by the nuclear family as the ideal model of family. Thus, this mayaffect the connections between them and the specific families who do not prescribe this configuration. Inconsequence it can produce incompetence feelings in the families who perceive themselves as not adjusted tothe normative discourses of the professionals. Additionally there were some other factors in the functioning of theBrazilian judicial environment that indicate risk conditions during the judicial processes:1. The opponent system (the family members are “labeled” as adversaries):2. The community lack of confidence in the judiciary system;3. The recognized limited knowledge of the professionals on psychological subjects;4. The demands of quantitative production (proved by numbers of families attended);5. Distorted notion of the justice power by the population who need the service;6. Poverty was affirmed in their difficulties that causes and increases the conflicts reinforcing the stigmatization ofpoor families.With the familiesMost families demonstrate that perceive the judicial system as the last chance of resolution of conflicts, but do notrecognize it as protection. They also feel distant to the staff and do not comprehend the peculiarities in thefunctioning of the system, such as: time of processes and the specific lawyer’s language); The followed familyaffirmed that after the judicial process their family relationships have less dialogue and less personal contact.206