What Helps in Help? A New Look at Help for Women in Deep, Long-Term Economic and Social Deprivation

Abstract

The capacity of women who live in deep and long-term economic and social deprivation to be helped has rarely been examined from the point of view of the women. This paper describes narrative research on the experience of receiving assistance as it is perceived by women who participated in the Yachdav program and were helped by it. Fourteen interviews were analyzed according to the narrative approach and grounded theory. Three patterns of help reception were revealed: (a) The Calming Pattern, in which help is perceived as the possibility to escape—to relax and calm down, (b) The Empowerment Pattern, in which help is perceived as enabling the women to learn, to receive, and strengthen, and (c) The Re-Biography Pattern, in which assistance is perceived as bringing about a new self-awareness. These findings suggest the desirability of reconsidering presuppositions concerning the needs of this population and its capacity to be helped. The results also point to implications for practice and further research.