Portal de Murcia
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The professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Services of the University of Murcia, Enrique Pastor Seller, has published an article in the journal ImpactEuropean Journal of Social Work (2017, 20: 3, p.441-458) present in the Journal Citation Report (JCR) of Web of Science.
Through the articleMechanisms for participation in the public system of social services in Spain: opportunities for the development of social work with a citizenist approachse analyze the opportunities of citizen participation in the public system of social services
This is a continuous research that focuses on the 17 regional laws that we currently have in Spain to determine how they have evolved with respect to the opportunities for participation offered by Public Administrations to both associations or foundations as well as the individual users individually considered .
According to this study, the current offer of opportunities is very institutional in the autonomous field because it is usually produced through formal entities such as associations or other forms of associative cut.
However, the researcher points out that this trend is losing weight at the local level, in which begin to appear more dynamic and direct systems such as participatory budgets, participatory intervention centers, forums, etc.
"The interesting thing is that the public authorities can offer a wide range of opportunities where different citizens can find ways to participate, because not all citizens have the same idea of ​​how to participate. Simply by voting, which would be a more classical participation, there are other citizens who feel good participating through neighborhood associations or specialized associations, and there are other citizens, especially the younger ones, who are linked with a more citizenistic perspective, More direct participation, more voting, without intermediary institutions or representation of interests "
In the Region of Murcia the Law of Social Services System is of the year 2003, reason why it is necessary a renewal in different aspects, since the investigator emphasizes that those laws that take into account the participation of users are the most novel, Specifically the so-called "third generation" that appear from 2012, fundamentally, and states that in the Spanish panorama have been the most progressive autonomous communities who have dared to bet on citizen participation in a more courageous.
The article states that more and more citizen opinion is being taken into account through satisfaction surveys or participatory budgets, among others, as the number of participatory processes occurring at the municipal level is increasing, even reaching neighborhoods , Districts and / or air of municipal competition and even sectors of population.
The researcher has detected a significant change in the supply of opportunities by political actors, as "they are discovering that participation is not uncomfortable, but may even be a key element in legitimizing their own policies."
In this line, it is interesting to note that the mechanisms of participation are used at the consultative level, it is intended to give voice to citizens so that political actors make decisions taking into account what has been consulted, but Pastor points out that fear increases as The opinions of the users may be binding.
For the researcher, the ideal situation mixes politics with social participation: "We have to go little by little because citizens also need some co-responsibility in the decisions that we could adopt, how much they are decisions that would not only affect us but More people. I believe that the policy of participation with the citizens' association must go hand in hand.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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