RESEARCH ON SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS AND TRAINING
OF ACTIVE MINORITIES
Introduction
Our proposal is based on some fundamental assumptions, as explained below.
Synthesis of the reasons of our proposal.
The phenomena of individual suffering are the results of an interaction of three
elements:
Individual and collective suffering phenomena, within those mass concentrations
that we call cities, are due to the interaction of three elements:

The personality of subjects feeling those phenomena;

The interaction between these subjects and the context in which they live;

The cultural and material shape that takes the symptom (what keeps joint).
Metaphorically : first actors, cast, direction and screen-playing.
We can think that the representation of individual and collective suffering is the
place where the meaning of phenomena of suffering, in a material and symbolic way,
takes place.
Therefore we might think that individual and collective suffering representation
is the field in which the real sense of those suffering phenomena take place, both
actually and symbolically.
This field is anything but neutral, as regards the possible outcome of the
involved stories and also as to the sense or non sense production processes regarding
those phenomena.
Obviously the sense, both collective and individual, of these suffering
phenomena defines themselves as biography (life and sociality signs) or pathology
(sense distortion signs).
One expression of the social representations is the linguistic exchange among
actors, by which those representations are built, as images linked to a judgment.
Therefore our proposal consists in an evaluation of the different expression of
social representations, regarding suffering phenomena; in this way we should be able to
understand the underlying dynamics that produce those representation.
The final aim of this research is to set a system of prevention actions.
To this purpose is better to explain the link, we suppose, existing among
suffering prevention and social representation dynamics.
In simple terms, if we accept the following definition of prevention…
“In this context the concept of prevention refers to individual and collective
material conditions, perceptions and representations as a whole, that let an individual or
a group be convinced that he/she or they is/are able to face any event, even dangerous;
in other terms we refer to foreseeing and managing management abilities that let people
react effectively to those events that could be considered as a danger”
…then we could say that…
scientific literature shows that the social and interactive context’s ways of
representing phenomena are the main factors both in the production of such phenomena
and in the success of any kind of intervention (prevention, treatment, etc.).
Thus the study of such underlying dynamics is fundamental in order to plan
proper intervention to contrast discomfort and disease.
Methodology
We propose to consider, in each partner city, three samples of citizens according
to the following criteria:
Sample n.1: Operators that work within the prevention field, regarding the local
discomfort expressions;
Sample n.2: For each subject mentioned above, five persons that belong to their
significant relationships’ net;
Sample n.3: stratified as regards sex, age and job, and representative of citizens
living in the area in which subjects from sample 1 work.
Each subject should answer to a questionnaire (Likert scale) containing 25
sentences (items will be adjusted to the local culture), repeated three times on the basis
of three guide-questions: “what do you think on the following assertions; what do you
think people might answer the following assertions; how much would you like to
change people’s answers regarding the following assertions”.
Questionnaires will contain the same assertions for all the partner cities.
These assertions will be inspired by the everyday language, through which
common opinions on social phenomena are built.
Answers will be elaborated on the basis of the following strategy:

First level: analysis per phenomenon and per type of action
mentioned;

Second level: analysis of the consistency of the system of response of
each sample (we consider consistency the accordance between one’s
opinion and the collective opinion);

Third level: analysis of the distance/closeness per item and group of
items among the samples;

Fourth level: factorial analysis.
The results obtained will allow to infer answers to the following questions:
In that specific area what is the specific philosophy by which social
representations of social phenomena are built?
What are the focal points underlying such representation?
What is the distance between social consistency and individual thinking?
Etc…
Actions subsequent to the research
By means of the research it will be possible to understand the characteristics of
subjects, living in a specific area, as regards their distance/closeness to the present
minority in terms of suffering prevention.
In this way we will be able to set for each area the proper strategy of influence in
order to:
1. make the social representation more complex and articulated as to
decrease the conformity pressure;
2. study the most appropriate strategies as to make clear hidden conflicts
and defensive measures carried out by those actors that express suffering
states;
3. identify the most appropriate strategies as to unreinforce delegation,
marginalization and exclusion mechanisms;
4. etc.
In short we intend to offer a useful and scientific help to those people working
within the prevention and exclusion interventions field, in order to start up influence
strategies, within their relationship contexts, for the purpose of promoting inclusion and
control practises as regards social suffering phenomena.
Training of the for active minorities
According to the concepts and actions mentioned above, we will arrange a
training course targeting subjects working within the research’s areas and aiming to the
acquisition of methodologies and strategies of influence on social contexts.
The general goal of this course will be adapted on the basis of the outcomes of
the research as they emerge.
At the moment we can already suppose that the thematic matters of this process
are the following:
- social mediation: theories and methodologies within the social mediation field
represent fundamental steps in order to change social behaviour;
- “social diagnosis”: we refer to the methodologies aiming at the knowledge
processes construction as regards social dynamics;
- social interventions management: we refer to the acquisition of planning
methodologies for the purpose of defining good social interventions.
In short participants should acquire a good knowledge of the following matters::
- strategies within the prevention and security field;
- intervention on social nets;
- construction and change of social representation;
- Active Minorities’ Theory;
- Community Psychology’s theories;
-
Training Theory within non structured contexts.
The participants should also learn:
- action-research’s methodology;
- working with informal groups and didactics for adults;
- networking methodologies and working with active minorities;
- evaluation methodology;
- working in team equipe.
The participants should also be able to:
-
mediate and negotiate;
manage relationships aiming at the influence on social representations;
make nets among citizens;
plane interventions within the social distortion prevention and urban safety
field.
Merlo Roberto