Knowledge and Practices in the Work of Community Psychology: A Study on the Work of Community Psychologists in Ecuador (Phase 1)

This qualitative and exploratory research project aims to address the tensions and specificities of Community Psychology (CP) practice within Latin American contexts, initially focusing on Ecuador. The study arises from the need to understand how professional practices unfold in community settings, given methodological inconsistencies and tensions between practice and disciplinary principles, often exacerbated by governmental funding and bureaucratization. The main objective is to identify the strategies, contexts, and meanings deployed by professionals working directly with communities, analyzing similarities and differences in their actions. The proposed methodology is qualitative and emergent, utilizing at least four focus groups per country, composed of 6 to 8 psychologists with a minimum of two years of experience in direct community care. The goal is to build a vision regarding the discipline's difficulties and opportunities, promoting a 'reflected continuity' based on the confluence of knowledge and intersectoral work to confront the disciplinary crisis.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To analyze and compare the practices developed and strategies employed by psychologists working in community contexts in Ecuador, aiming to explore these practices and contribute to a reflected continuity within the discipline.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Political, social and community psychology