Social representations of development among users and implementers of a housing project in rural Peruin rual Perú

Social representations of development among users and implementers of a housing project in rural Peruin rual Perú

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol24-Issue3-fulltext-3451

Keywords:

human development, livelihoods approach, post-development, social representations, sumaq kawsay

Abstract

Amid the current crisis of social projects, a key challenge lies in understanding how their actors conceive development. From a qualitative approach (interviews and workshops), this study explores the social representations of development (SRD) among 19 users and 18 implementers of a thermal housing project in a rural Peruvian community. Thematic analysis revealed that while users prioritize education and production, implementers emphasize education, politics, and essential services. Despite these differences, both groups’SRD align with the Human Development and Sustainable Livelihoods approaches. Users adopt a pragmatic view focused on subsistence and equality, resonating with post-development perspectives, whereas implementers hold a more structural and idealistic view highlighting environmental and cultural sustainability and elements of sumak kawsay. These findings pose theoretical, methodological, and sociopolitical challenges for project management. The study offers relevant insights for designing policies and programs that engage younger generations amid socio-environmental and economic crises in rural territories.

Author Biographies

Angelit Guzmán, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Angelit Guzmán holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). She is currently a doctoral candidate in Psychology at PUCP. She serves as the Coordinator of the social inclusion initiative “El otro Uchuraccay” and works as a research advisor and development consultant, specialising in systematisation and participatory community development. Research interests: child protection, fatherhood, memory, interculturality, and development.

Meryliz Alonzo, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Meryliz Alonzo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) and has completed the Programme in Governance and Public Innovation at PUCP and CAF. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Development: Approaches and Policies at PUCP. Research interests: rural psychology, development, social exclusion and inclusion, innovation, and public policy.

César Llanco, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

César Llanco holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology from the same institution. He is a lecturer at the Academic Department of Psychology at PUCP and a member of the Political and Social Psychology Group (GPPS - PUCP). He is also a registered researcher in RENACYT. Research interests: religion, violence, sustainability, and social exclusion.

Franco Vásquez, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Franco Vásquez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). He has experience as a research assistant and consultant in quantitative and qualitative research on development studies, as well as in the design, implementation, and evaluation of projects targeting vulnerable populations. Research interests: development, social inclusion and exclusion, early socioeconomic disadvantage, and sexual health.

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Published

2025-11-15

How to Cite

Guzmán Chávez, A., Alonzo , M., Llanco Gonzales, C., & Vásquez, F. (2025). Social representations of development among users and implementers of a housing project in rural Peruin rual Perú. Psicoperspectivas, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol24-Issue3-fulltext-3451

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 3 (2025): Territories in socio-environmental crisis

Section

Research Articles - ST

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Copyright (c) 2025 Blanca Angelit Guzman Chavez, Meryliz Alonzo Torres, César Llanco Gonzales, Franco Vásquez (Autor)

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