Policies to Eradicate Extreme Poverty in Chile

Abstract

The present article analyses the association between the way in which public policy conceptualises poverty (in discourse and practice), the conception of poverty of people who live in extreme poverty conditions and the strategies they develop to affront it, in the light of their participation in the Puente Programme in Chile. The data emanate from research work carried out from a qualitative perspective using in-depth interviews with people considered to be living in extreme poverty and including a gendered analytic. The ‘Puente Programme’ is part of Chilean public policy aimed to reduce levels of poverty and extreme poverty, in consonance with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) One as stated by the UNDP. Indeed, such policies seem to have had the effect of generating a self-perception of lack of opportunities, low level of agency in the solutions of their problems and consequently, fewer possibilities of achievement of the ends that they have in mind among the users. Also, we conclude that the strategies used by the Puente Programme have neither strengthened community association, nor helped to regenerate community networks. Additionally, the interviewed people do not feel empowered or improved in their citizenship capacities. Instead, what results is a sense of dependency on institutions. Finally, we postulate that the Puente Programme has not contributed to the development of a community or in subjective welfare.