Annex 4

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Social interaction is enriched with the support networks established by individuals, families and groups. These networks give importance to the social atmosphere and provide answers to social and personal needs.

Social networks are the main space for social interaction and are the basis for individuals to create and define permanently their models of interaction, autonomy, and social participation. The simultaneously create links of solidarity, support, organization and strength for the community.

Normally the networks are open systems that allow permanent exchange of knowledge, emotions, relations, and support among their members. A network is a mechanism of protection and social help that gathers from several backgrounds, interests, and rituals that seek to maximize resources and services to favour those who are in trouble.

A network could be natural or artificial.

Natural networks are those natural links and interactions that a person establishes with his/her relations within the daily environment.

Artificial nets are those created from a specific purpose in order to find a concrete solution to a problem or need. One way or another, the networks serve as social support as long as there are elements to join its members around a solution for a common need.

Individuals spend most of their time in a social network. Therefore, its members greatly influence each other. The following chart clearly show their interactions and relations:

Networks require three key factors:

1. Awareness

• Share our sad experiences.
• Show our feelings concerning those experiences.

2. Personal testimony as group training

• Ask questions about key topics.
• At random speak about personal experiences.
• Ask again.
  

3. Relate personal testimony and general situations

• Find a common root for opposite feelings and experiences.
• Analyse positive and negative feelings together with a way to face the situations that they surface.35

According to Eliana Dabas36 the following are some important elements to create and sustain social networks:

• Value highly the presence, word, and testimony of each person.
• Encourage multiple expression (drama, games, art, etc.)
• Value direct personal contact and share experiences.
• Value questions and the chance of ignorance.
• Allow creativity.
• Give merit to personal commitment.
• Value differences as a possibility for growth and not as trouble makers.
• Count on complexity, confusion and crisis instead of trying to simplify them.
• Understand personal and other people's rights as criteria to establish limits.
• Value equally form and content.
• Find punishments that allow learning.
• Redefine propositions that close roads and open possibilities instead.
• Record and maintain coherence among all aspects of an experiences.
• Think about oneself and the own behaviour instead of criticizing others.
• Try new and comprehensive interactions.
• Appreciate mistakes as a source of correction and new attempts.

A network can be seen from different perspectives according to the intentions or to the social support it has.

Within the community it is possible to consider family, community, and institution networks because they are the basis to create identities, limits, and meanings that affect the system in a positive or negative way, and at the same time, allow thinking and verbal and non verbal exchange to maintain, create or increase alternatives to solve conflicts or problems common to their members.

Networks also serve as support of values and believes for those who participate and are enriched by their personal and social contributions.

From the preventive perspective, the network is such a valuable tool to build new paradigms in a community or a family that out of shared testimonies and experiences it provides the possibility to find new alternatives to face crisis.

The YMCA considers that community and family networks are support for self management as well as group and personal development. A network is a strategy for families and communities to create common links and resources that are developed to favour their needs of emotional, economic, and social structures.

The YMCA considers that including networks in all processes yields a possibility to develop potentials, resources and abilities in community and family environments which result in concrete improvement of joint support and assistance.

35 Dabas, Elina and others. Redes el lenguaje de los vínculos. Buenos Aires. Ed. Paidos, 1999. Pg. 199.

36 Op. cit. Pgs. 193–194.