Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

---

Objectives: The main objective of the paper is finding solution to make selfhelp group's performance better in Behzisti organization. Recently empowerment theory is replaced the social policy theories. Empowerment has five dimensions: income, accessibility, consciousness, control and participation. All of the dimensions are important and ought to be actualized. But based on the idea of theorists, planners, international organizations, experts(social workers) and women headed households, economic dimension of empowerment (income and accessibility) to perform comes first. Functionalistic theory views every society and groups as a system. System's survive is conditioned by input and output exchange with its environment. If a self- help group wants to be successful in economic dimension of empowerment, its relationship with the environment must be mutual According to Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam theory, social capital is the capital and the resource that associate individuals and groups. These resources available in networks of relationships and are based on who do you knew and how much do you communicate him. Individuals and groups can not be successful without social capital. By use of local facilities, self- help groups find links with their environment and a kind of social capital when help the groups survive. This paper asked four main questions: 1. Is there relation between the use of local facilities and self -help groups' income? 2. Is there relationship between the use of local facilities and self help groups' property? 3. Is there relationship between the use of local facilities and the economic dimension of empowerment of self help group? 4. Is there relationship between the social worker's refer to the local facilities and the economic dimension of empowerment? Method: The method of paper is survey. This research tries to measure use of local facilities and its effects on economic dimension of empowerment. The sample is include 25 self- help groups in Tehran.Findings: Economic dimension of empowerment has two indexes: income and property. Analysis of data shows the range of self help groups income is 200- 1000 thousands rials and the range of property 10-50 million rials. When selfhelp group be associated with local facilities, income is increased. The relationship between use of local facilities and increased income is significant and positive . But such a relation between use of local facilities and property is not confirmed. There is difference between ways of link with local facilities and economic dimension of empowerment. When social worker refers to local facilities, specially formal and state organizations, his performance is successful in promotion of groups' income. But administrative performances by Behzisti organization increases only property of groups. Results: Efforts of self- help groups and social workers to make connection between local facilities and group's needs, increase group power and secure income and essential needs. This rule mentioned in self-help groups instruction (1381). The social workers seriously must actualize this rule by direct refer to local facilities specially governmental organizations.

Keywords: Empowerment, Self- Help Group, Women Headed Households, Use of Local Facilities

Full-Text [PDF 344 kb]   (2394 Downloads)