TOUCHING THE INTANGIBLE: EXPLORING EFFECTS OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS IN THE LESS TANGIBLE DIMENSIONS OF POVERTY ; Tocando o Intangível: Explorando Efeitos de Programas Sociais nas Dimensões Menos Tangíveis da Pobreza

This paper presents some results of a survey that intended to identify effects of social protection programs - more specifically cash transfer and social assistance services - on less tangible dimensions of poverty. The survey, conducted in Belo Horizonte city/MG, has a quantitative and qualitative approach. In this way, was developed a survey applied in 608 families, and focus groups with staff of the Reference Centers of Social Assistance (CRAS), and families assisted by these services. Based on a literature that focuses on the various dimensions that make up the poverty phenomenon, we considered the changes that occur in families receiving Bolsa Família that, besides the benefit, are in touch with social care services developed in CRAS. The results of both quantitative and qualitative stages realize that the effects of the interventions are different for the different strata of families: those exposed to more systematically social care services have different answers, regarding the psycho social effects, compared with the group that receives only income transfer. Finally, some issues are problematized concerning social intervention ways and the chances of fighting poverty through social welfare policies.KEYWORDS: Poverty, social assistance policy, psycho-social effects, conditional cash transfer programs, social care services. ; Este artigo apresenta alguns resultados de uma pesquisa que buscou identificar os efeitos de programas de proteção social - mais especificamente, de transferência de renda e serviços socioassistenciais - sobre dimensões menos tangíveis da pobreza. A pesquisa, realizada em Belo Horizonte/MG, tem natureza quantitativa e qualitativa, constituindo-se do desenvolvimento de um survey com 608 questionários aplicados junto a um grupo de famílias, além da formação de grupos focais com técnicos dos Centros de Referência de Assistência Social (CRAS) e famílias usuárias dos serviços do CRAS.Partindo de uma literatura que foca as diversas dimensões que compõem o fenômeno da pobreza, foram ...