The role of informal social support in needs assessment: proposal and application of a model to assess immigrants' needs in the south of Spain

Abstract

Needs assessment models have been generally focused on the identification and prioritization of needs, analysing formal resources available in the community as possible solutions for existing problems. These kinds of models have assumed that formal services are the primary source of support for individuals in need. However, a great deal of the investigations in the field of Social Psychology have shown that the main source of help and support when facing a problem is not formal organizations, but people's own informal networks. In this article, we therefore propose a needs assessment model that emphasizes the importance of analysing both formal and informal social resources. The application of this model to assess Moroccan immigrants' needs in the south of Spain shows the anticipated low level of utilization of formal services and programmes, one that contrasts with the high use of informal networks as an essential source of social support for this group of immigrants. These results reveal the limitations of traditional needs assessment models, and the importance of incorporating the analysis of informal social support as a key resource for need satisfaction, particularly in the case of immigrant populations.

Social disorder, social integration, and subjective well-being among Latin-American immigrants in Spain

“…Diversos estudios en nuestro país sugieren niveles más bajos de satisfacción vital y bienestar subjetivo en la población inmigrante que en la población autóctona. Esta relación se encuentra moderada, por una parte, por factores de naturaleza más estructural o demográfica como el país de origen, la afinidad lingüística, el nivel educativo, el tiempo de residencia o la situación administrativa o laboral (Aierdi, Basabe, Blanco y Oleada, 2008;Basabe, Zlobina y Páez, 2004;Díez-Nicolás, 2005;Hernández, Pozo y Alonso, 2004; Moreno-Jiménez y Hidalgo, 2011; Ríos y Moreno, 2010) y, por otra, por variables de naturaleza social y contextual como el apoyo social, la integración y sentimiento de pertenencia en la comunidad o la participación social, variables en las que se centra este estudio y cuya importancia en los procesos de ajuste es subrayada por cada vez un mayor número de investigadores (Gracia y Herrero, 2006;Hernández, Hidalgo, Salazar y Hess, 2007;Martínez, García y Maya, 1999;Latkin y Curry, 2003;Leslie, 1992;Merlo, 2011;Ríos y Moreno, 2010).…”

Immigration and femininity in Southern Europe: A gender‐based psychosocial analysis

“…This is especially apparent when they check their original expectations prior to emigration against the reality they are facing in the host country, and recall the calamities they have endured, the risks taken and sacrifices made, not to mention precarious employment, personal uncertainty, lack of social support and low quality of life for most of them (Hernandez-Plaza, Pozo, & Alonso-Morillejo, 2004).…”

New Settlement and Wellbeing in Oppressive Contexts: A Liberation Psychology Approach

“…Independently of the motives for new settlement, international mobility has usually the aim of improving individuals' living conditions and wellbeing. However, these expectancies are not always fulfilled, particularly in host contexts where new settlers are relegated to the most precarious employment sectors and marginalized areas with limited access to community resources (Hernández-Plaza, Pozo, & Alonso, 2004;Martínez, García-Ramírez, Maya, Rodríguez, & Checa, 1996;Portes & Rumbaut, 1996;Soon & Fisher, 2005). This is the case of Moroccan new settlers in Andalusia, the most southern region of Spain, and one of their main gateways to Europe.…”

“…Moroccans are the second most numerous foreign-born group in Andalusia 2 (see Fig. 12.1), where they get the most precarious jobs in terms of hardworking conditions, instability and low salaries; they work in intensive greenhouse agriculture, as constructor laborers, or hotel workers, and usually live in isolated rural areas or marginalized urban neighborhoods, with limited access to basic community resources (Hernández-Plaza, 2003;Hernández-Plaza et al, 2004;Martínez et al, 1996). The proposal described in this chapter is based on our research and experience, over more than 10 years, with this new settler population in Andalusia.…”