The development of social intervention in France: The local culture of the group “Pouvoir d’Agir”

Abstract

The article proposes a report of a research carried out in collaboration with a French association, regarding a social subject perceived as very relevant in France: the socio-educational intervention in French cities in social exclusion field. Research has explored, in a clinical psychology perspective, the interest to this subject among the same researchers end professionals included in this context. Subjects participating to the research work refer to a specific French group, named “Pouvoir d’Agir”. This group has got as finality to propose to citizenship some innovative measures to fight against social and political exclusion, by means of reinforcement of the “empowerment” of citizens. The author utilises the report as a fundamental methodological instrument of clinical psychology and in the process of verification of intervention. Starting from first explorative hypothesis and analysis of data, the paper proposes an interpretative reading of the group’s collusive symbolisations, object of the research, and their connexions with the evolution of the wider social context.