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This thesis examines women’s participation in community groups, in order to investigate the concept of ‘social capital’ and its implications for women’s mental well-being. Its aim is to examine the concept of social capital, and the ways it is linked with health, in a way that is attentive to gender and class inequity. For the purposes of this thesis, social capital is broadly defined as social relationships between people and the individual or community level ‘resources’ that can arise from these social relationships. Two different conceptualisations of social capital were considered in this study: the ‘communitarian’ approach associated with Robert Putnam, and the more ‘critical’ conceptualisation associated with Pierre Bourdieu. This research adopted a critical stance towards social capital, and focused upon four research questions: Firstly, what was the nature of participation in community groups among women who live in metropolitan Adelaide? Secondly, what were the personal outcomes that were perceived to arise from women’s community group involvement? Thirdly, what were the differences in the nature and perceived outcomes of women’s community group participation, according to social and economic factors? Finally, how did the nature and perceived outcomes of women’s participation in community groups relate to the ways they experienced their mental health and well-being? This study used qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate these questions. The quantitative analysis provided a preliminary investigation to complement the qualitative study, and involved the analysis of questionnaire data from 968 women in two contrasting areas of Adelaide. This analysis considered sociodemographic differences in the type and frequency of women’s involvement. The qualitative research involved the analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 women. The interviews explored the participants’ experiences of community group involvement; the personal outcomes that they felt arose from their involvement, their ‘lay accounts’ of their mental health, and how they felt community group involvement was connected with their mental well-being. This study found that women’s participation was shaped by gender and aspects of economic, cultural and ‘informal’ social capital. The qualitative data illustrated that women’s involvement was influenced, motivated and constrained by the gendered nature of their roles and responsibilities. These findings also highlighted contrasts among the participants in the types of involvement they undertook, and the personal outcomes of their involvement, according to their levels of material, financial and social advantage. This was supported by the quantitative findings, which revealed that the respondents’ participation in community groups, the type of group involvement they undertook, and the frequency of their involvement varied according to sociodemographic measures. The qualitative findings also identified how community group participation could lead to both positive and negative outcomes for individual women. Many participants reported the ways in which they felt their involvement enhanced their mental well-being. The qualitative data also illustrated how involvement could detract from mental well-being. In some instances, the negative consequences of participation had a severe and detrimental impact upon mental health. The findings of this study offer support to feminist criticisms of communitarian approaches to social capital, and to Bourdieu’s critical approach to understanding the concept. The study concludes that Bourdieu’s conceptualisation offers greater potential for considering how community group participation and ‘social capital’ can be used as a strategy to promote women’s health and mental well-being.

Volunteer-managed nonprofit organizations (VNPOs) are defined as nonprofit organizations managed exclusively by volunteers without paid-staff. There is no well-recognized theory describing how to govern or structure VNPOs, despite their significance in the social economy. This study argues non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structures are appropriate for some VNPOs. Rothschild-Whitt (1979) proposes six significant challenges for organizations with non-bureaucratic governance. Using multiple case-study methodology, the magnitude of these challenges was assessed in three VNPOs adopting non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structure. Four challenges, namely, time, homogeneity, emotional intensity, and individual differences, did not adversely affect the selected VNPOs. Two challenges, namely, nondemocratic individuals and environmental constraints, remained obstacles for the selected VNPOs. Five other challenges to non-bureaucratic governance specific to VNPOs were also identified and discussed, specifically, succession planning and recruitment, task completion, minimal socialization, pressure to achieve consensus, and administrative issues. Insights from such studies may help to better manage non-bureaucratic/non-hierarchical VNPOs.

Volunteer-managed nonprofit organizations (VNPOs) are defined as nonprofit organizations managed exclusively by volunteers without paid-staff. There is no well-recognized theory describing how to govern or structure VNPOs, despite their significance in the social economy. This study argues non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structures are appropriate for some VNPOs. Rothschild-Whitt (1979) proposes six significant challenges for organizations with non-bureaucratic governance. Using multiple case-study methodology, the magnitude of these challenges was assessed in three VNPOs adopting non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structure. Four challenges, namely, time, homogeneity, emotional intensity, and individual differences, did not adversely affect the selected VNPOs. Two challenges, namely, nondemocratic individuals and environmental constraints, remained obstacles for the selected VNPOs. Five other challenges to non-bureaucratic governance specific to VNPOs were also identified and discussed, specifically, succession planning and recruitment, task completion, minimal socialization, pressure to achieve consensus, and administrative issues. Insights from such studies may help to better manage non-bureaucratic/non-hierarchical VNPOs.

Politically interested individual citizens often use information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate and augment their civic and political participation. At the local level, ICT plays an important role for communication and information sharing in order for local groups to create awareness and draw citizens into public deliberation about local issues and concerns. This research examines the interplay of individual and local group level factors in order to better understand the relationship between civic engagement and ICT, especially the internet, by using household survey data from the town of Blacksburg, Virginia and environs in 2005 and 2006. It seeks to reconcile those different levels of analysis relating to the use and impact of the internet on civic engagement in local governance. This study identifies the distinctive influences at both the individual citizen level and the group level by applying a multilevel statistical model (the Hierarchical Linear Model). First, this study found the effects of internal and external political efficacy and community collective efficacy as significant individual level influences on internet use for civic and political purposes. Second, group internet use—which includes new internet technologies—and group political discussion were revealed as key influences on citizens' perspectives on the helpfulness of the internet for civic and political purposes at the group level of analysis. Finally, in multilevel analysis, those recognized group level variables (group internet use and group political discussion and interests) led to positive agreement with the following statements: 1) the internet has helped me feel more connected with people like myself in the local area; 2) the internet has helped me feel more connected with a diversity of people in the local area; and 3) the internet has helped me become more involved in local issues that interest me when taking individual level variables into account. / Ph. D.

This thesis addresses the hypothesis “ Intragroup cultural differences between client and therapist will adversely affect client – therapist consonance in their perception of arts therapies group treatment” The literature review of intercultural psychotherapy, arts therapies and congruence research is contextualised in a discussion of the arts therapies in the UK, in particular group therapy in psychiatry. The discussion of the evolution of a multi modal research design incorporates an ethnographic perspective. The researcher shows how the setting and two pilot studies as well as the Evidence Based Practice initiative influenced the design. The main concepts in the research question are defined and the sample analysed within its local context. Helping and hindering factors in arts therapies group sessions are identified through cluster analysis of questionnaires and focus groups. The next stage of the analysis examines which client, therapist and treatment variables are shown to affect dissonance. Five case studies show the interaction of these variables for individual clients. The concluding chapter discusses the findings and critiques the methodology, as well as providing recommendations for further research. The hypothesis of the research is found invalid; cultural background variables alone do not create client-therapist dissonance. The findings show that client, therapist and treatment variables interact to create dissonance. Client diagnosis, stage of treatment and cultural background interact with their experience of the arts therapies medium. In an arts therapy group context the structuring of the group and the interpretation of the arts expression as symbol or index, will interact with client and therapist cultural background variables. The intragroup variations are migration history, nationality, religious orientation and first language spoken. Cultural difference with the therapist affecting dissonance was evident for those clients who were third generation English / British and who had grown up and were still resident in an non-urban area (small town or village in a predominantly agricultural region) with little cultural diversity. Intergroup difference affected attrition for one client, influenced more by peer than therapist dissonance. Treatment interruptions, the theoretical orientation of the therapists and peer dissonance interact with the client-therapist dissonance. Recommendations for practice are formulated from these findings. These concern adjusting practice to allow for a greater emphasis on expression and play, differing client perceptions about symbolism and the establishing of an early therapeutic alliance.

Submitted by Morgana Silva (morgana_linhares@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-19T18:55:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4833347 bytes, checksum: 08c11e5744d99a81ec5478b78d401463 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-19T18:55:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4833347 bytes, checksum: 08c11e5744d99a81ec5478b78d401463 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-30 / This research, in the scope of ethnomusicology, was carried out towards musical performance, having as its object of study the Master Naldinho Capoeira Angola community group, located in the Novais district, in João Pessoa, Paraíba. The general objective of this research was to present, analyze and reflect about the fundamental aspects which characterize the Capoeira Angola Community Group musical performance giving emphasis to its musical practice and its bond to the various elements of the cultural universe, especially towards the role and the general characteristics when playing the percussion instruments in the performance context. The research was carried out under ethnographic methodology – essentially centered on qualitative research instruments of data collection– in order to accomplish the proposed aims. To gather data, it was used bibliographic research, semi- structured interviews and participative observation which enabled the researcher to make recordings on video and audio, as well as photographic ones. To organize, analyze, and read the data it was needed to elaborate theoretical framework, musical transcriptions, design interviews, select photographies, and describe the fundamental aspects of this cultural manifestation. As a result of these processes , it was presented contemporary conceptions which gave ground to this dissertation leading to the contextualization of capoeira in Brazil and its symbolic shifting from political crime to immaterial Brazilian cultural heritage, having as its forerunner Master Bimba (from Capoeira Regional) and Master Pastinha (from Capoeira Angola). The research contextualized the moment when capoeira gave its first steps in Paraíba through the Soteropolitano Zumbi Bahia until reaching Master Naldinho’s House of Capoeira Angola, created by Master Nô from Bahia. When forming the group, Master Naldinho, not only shaped it, but gave specific and hierarchic structures, creating and developing peculiar sequences with musical complementation for each graduation. It is presented the constituent elements of musical performance of the group then part of the musical content collected given emphasis to the repertoire. It is also defined the particularities of the percussion instruments used in the group within the historical, technical and functional aspects. To conclude, it is analyzed the rhythmic structures and the toques from Capoeira de Angola in both roda presentations and in shows with the Berimbaus Angola Community Orchestra. Capoeira Angola musical practice is essentially collective, with importa nt entertaining, socializing and social inclusiveness functions – it also involves the preservation and the maintenance of traditions. Capoeira Angola is imbued with values, codes and believes that have group performative meaning with its inseparable eleme nts, such as its sonorous result characterized by the inter-relation between them. / Esta pesquisa na área de Etnomusicologia, é direcionada ao campo da performance musical, tendo como objeto de estudo o Grupo Capoeira Angola Comunidade do Mestre Naldinho, localizado no Bairro dos Novais, em João Pessoa, Paraíba, O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi apresentar, analisar e refletir acerca dos aspectos fundamentais que caracterizam a performance musical do grupo Capoeira Angola Comunidade enfatizando a prática musical do grupo e sua vinculação aos diversos elementos do universo cultural, sobretudo no que se refere à função e às características gerais da execução dos instrumentos de percussão ne sse contexto de performance. A fim de alcançar os objetivos propostos para a pesquisa, foi utilizada uma metodologia de cunho etnográfico, centrada fundamentalmente em instrumentos qualitativos. Dessa forma, os instrumentos de coleta de dados utilizados fo ram a pesquisa bibliográfica, entrevistas semi-estruturadas e a observação participante, onde foi possível realizar gravações de áudio e vídeo e registros fotográficos. Para organização, análise e leitura dos dados os procedimentos utilizados foram a elaboração do referencial teórico, as transcrições musicais e de entrevistas, seleção de fotografias, além da descrição dos aspectos fundamentais da manifestação. São apresentadas então, as concepções contemporâneas que fundamentaram o trabalho, para em seguida contextualizar a capoeira no Brasil e o momento de transformação simbólica, em que a capoeira passou de crime político a patrimônio cultural imaterial brasileiro, tendo como precursores Mestre Bimba (da capoeira regional) e Mestre Pastinha (da capoeira angola). Posteriormente é contextualizado o momento em que a capoeira deu os primeiros passos no Estado através do Soteropolitano Zumbi Bahia até chegar à Casa da Capoeira Angola do Mestre Naldinho, formado pelo Mestre Nô da Bahia. O Mestre Naldinho ao formar o Grupo Capoeira Angola Comunidade lhe dá não apenas forma, mas estruturas e hierarquia específicas, criando e desenvolvendo sequências de treinamento próprias com complementações musicais para cada graduação. São apresentados então, os elementos constituintes da performance musical do grupo. Em seguida, é apresentado parte do conteúdo musical coletado dando ênfase ao repertório. São definidas ainda as particularidades dos instrumentos de percussão utilizados no grupo nos aspectos históricos, técnicos e funcionais. Para finalizar são analisadas as estruturas rítmicas do toques utilizados na capoeira angola, tanto nas apresentações nas rodas quanto nos shows com a Orquestra de Berimbaus Angola Comunidade. A capoeira angola é uma prática musical fundamentalmente coletiva, com funções importantes de entretenimento, socialização, inclusão social além de preservação e manutenção da tradição. É imbuída de valores, códigos, crenças e significados que possuem sentido no conjunto performático e seus diversos elementos são indissociáveis, assim como, o resultado sonoro é caracterizado a partir da interrelação entre eles.

A formação de recursos humanos para atuar no setor da saúde mental constitui elemento estratégico para a efetiva consolidação do modelo psicossocial de atenção, tendo em vista que a principal tecnologia utilizada nesta área é o próprio trabalhador. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo teve como foco o programa Grupo Comunitário de Saúde Mental (GCSM), desenvolvido na cidade de Ribeirão Preto- SP, que vem atuando como estratégia de ampliação e diversificação dos programas de cuidado em Saúde Mental e também como espaço de formação de profissionais de saúde. Objetivou-se compreender as experiências de estudantes e profissionais em processo de formação com o Programa GCSM e os desdobramentos de sua apropriação no percurso de formação profissional em saúde/saúde mental. Está ancorado em uma abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa e utilizou como instrumentos a observação participante e a entrevista aberta. Os dados foram coletados no período de agosto de 2015 a fevereiro de 2016 e os participantes foram: cinco estudantes das áreas de Enfermagem, Terapia Ocupacional e Fisioterapia e dez profissionais em formação das áreas de Psicologia, Medicina e Serviço Social, totalizando 15 participantes. A análise do corpus foi realizada seguindo os princípios da Análise de Conteúdo Temática e possibilitou a construção de cinco categorias, a saber: 1) A formação em saúde/saúde mental aponta experiências de formação vividas pelos entrevistados e revela um processo formativo atravessado pela centralidade e autoridade do profissional em relação ao paciente e pelo distanciamento afetivo; 2) Primeiros contatos com o GCSM: um novo modelo descreve as experiências iniciais dos entrevistados com uma modalidade grupal inovadora e o processo de ambientação em relação à mesma; 3) O GCSM sob a perspectiva de estudantes e profissionais em formação: a horizontalidade em questão aborda o processo de participação no GCSM, as vivências e apropriações da proposta grupal, sob os pontos de vista individual e relacional. Revela uma ampliação gradual das possibilidades de experimentar o lugar profissional no espaço, concomitantemente a uma maior abertura pessoal e ruptura com um modelo idealizado de profissional; 4) Ampliando olhares acerca da pessoa em sofrimento psíquico: da doença à potência sugere uma ampliação dos olhares e concepções acerca da pessoa em sofrimento psíquico e redução de estereótipos, oportunizada pelo contato, no espaço do GCSM, com outras facetas dos usuários de serviços de saúde mental; 5) O GCSM como experiência formativa aborda os desdobramentos da experiência vivida com o GCSM no percurso de formação em saúde mental e também para outros contextos, revelando uma ampliação dos modos de produzir o cuidado em saúde/saúde mental. Com base na análise empreendida pode-se afirmar que a proposta vivencial, presente no modelo do GCSM, apresenta contribuições tanto do ponto de vista da formação técnica quanto no que tange ao desenvolvimento humano do profissional. Destaca-se que este estudo traz avanços para se pensar a formação realizada em serviços-escola no campo da saúde mental e que tal compreensão pode colaborar com a consolidação do modelo psicossocial de atenção. / The qualification for human resources to work in the mental health area is a strategic element for the effective consolidation of the psychosocial care model, considering that the main technology used in this area is the worker himself. In this context, the present study focused on the Mental Health Community Group (GCSM) Program, developed in the city of Ribeirão Preto, SP, which has been acting as a strategy for expanding and diversifying mental health care programs and also as a qualification space for health professionals. The aim was to understand the experiences of students and training professionals with the GCSM Program and the unfolding of their appropriation in the professional qualification path in health/mental health. It is anchored in a qualitative research approach and used as instruments participant observation and open interview. The data were collected from August 2015 to February 2016 and the participants were: five students from the areas of Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and ten training professionals in the areas of Psychology, Medicine and Social Work, totaling 15 participants. The analysis of the corpus was carried out following the principles of the Thematic Content Analysis and it enabled the construction of five categories, namely: 1) Qualification in health/mental health - shows formative experiences lived by the interviewees and reveals a formative process crossed by the centrality and authority of the professional in relation to the patient and by affective distance; 2) First contacts with GCSM: a new model - describes the initial experiences of the interviewees with an innovative group modality and the setting process in relation to it; 3) GCSM from the perspective of students and training professionals: the horizontality in question - addresses the process of participation in the GCSM, the experiences and appropriations of the group proposal, from an individual and relational point of view. It reveals a gradual increase in the possibilities to experiment the professional place in the space, concomitantly to a greater personal opening and rupture with an idealized model of professional; 4) Expanding the view of the person in psychological distress: from illness to power - suggests an enlargement of the views and conceptions about the person in psychological distress and reduction of stereotypes, provided by the contact in the GCSM space with other aspects of the users of mental health services; 5) GCSM as a formative experience - addresses the unfolding of experience with GCSM in the course of mental health qualification and also in other contexts, revealing a broader way of producing care in health/mental health. Based on the analysis undertaken, it can be affirmed that the experiential proposal, present in the GCSM model, presents contributions both from the point of view of technical training and with regard to the human development of the professional. It should be emphasized that this study brings advances to think about the training performed in school-services in the mental health field and this comprehension can contribute to the consolidation of the psychosocial model of care.

Compartilhamos um momento histórico em que Reformas Psiquiátrica e Sanitária mobilizam novos paradigmas de atenção e serviços em saúde. A cidadania, a horizontalidade das relações e o estímulo ao protagonismo dos diferentes agentes aparecem como premissas importantes nos trabalhos. Nesse contexto, o atendimento em grupo representou uma resposta viável por destacar a participação coletiva e reconhecer as trocas interativas como facilitadoras ao processo de saúde e doença. O presente estudo, em consonância a tais premissas, teve por objetivo compreender, por meio da perspectiva dos participantes, um grupo de promoção à saúde e de atenção à experiência cotidiana que tem se desenvolvido há quatorze anos em um serviço de referência em saúde mental na cidade de Ribeirão Preto: o Grupo Comunitário de Saúde Mental (GCSM). Trata-se de uma atividade que se singulariza por propor o cuidado com a participação de profissionais, usuários e familiares sem a distinção de papéis, ou seja, todos fazem uso e se beneficiam do grupo, questionando a histórica diferenciação de profissional/coordenador, aquele que ajuda e usuário/familiar, o que recebe a ajuda. O corpus da pesquisa foi constituído por nove entrevistas abertas em profundidade e pela observação participante ao longo de dois anos e seis meses, com base na Fenomenologia, especialmente de Edmund Husserl. A análise estruturou-se em dois momentos pautados na intencionalidade fenomenológica. No primeiro, destacamos a descrição do fenômeno em que foram apresentadas as nove entrevistas e a observação participante, de maneira a dar visibilidade às vivências e singularidades das experiências sobre o GCSM, sem o destaque de repetições, respeitando a ordem cronológica das exposições, de forma que o interlocutor compartilhe do significado intencionado pela pessoa sobre o vivenciado no grupo. Posteriormente, na análise compreensiva, foram identificadas quatro unidades de sentido por meio da atenção às tendências compartilhadas sobre o GCSM, a saber: 1) grupo e seu contexto generativo que demarcou uma historicidade e uma generatividade para a compreensão e desenvolvimento da proposta; 2) grupo vivido como potencial terapêutico o qual destacou os aspectos estruturais, de composição, os delineamentos técnicos e metodológicos significados sobre o GCSM entre os participantes, em que a experiência vivida aparece como uma via de promoção do cuidado; 3) grupo como espaço de paradoxos que, por sua vez, apresentou as dificuldades e dilemas encontrados na participação, em especial, pela característica simétrica da composição grupal e 4) grupo como uma vivência estética, que ressaltou o uso de elementos artísticos e culturais no processo de atenção à experiência cotidiana. A consolidação dessa proposta de estudo possibilitou a construção de um recorte compreensivo em que o GCSM é significado como uma forma de trabalho exitosa, pelo aprimoramento da proposta de atenção à experiência, diferente do foco tradicional nas hermenêuticas clínicas, convivendo, ao mesmo tempo, com um contexto paradoxal que impele a novas disposições de seus participantes e idealizadores. A pesquisa permitiu colaborar com o entendimento sobre o modo pelo qual as pessoas que sofrem, adoecem e trabalham em contextos de saúde mental vivenciam o cuidado em um grupo simétrico, além de demarcar uma maneira alternativa de cuidado pela via da experiência fenomenológica, representando uma modalidade potencialmente aberta a outros espaços de cuidado em saúde mental / We share a historical moment, in which Psychiatric and Sanitary Reforms still mobilize new paradigms of care and services in health. Citizenship, the horizontality of relations and the encouragement to the role of different actors appear as important premises in the works. In this context, the group service represented a viable answer as it highlights the collective participation and recognizes the interactive exchanges as facilitators to the health and disease process. This study, in line with such assumptions, aimed to understand, through the participants perspectives, a group of health promotion and attention to everyday experience that has been developed for fourteen years, thus becoming a reference service in mental health in Ribeirão Preto: The Mental Health Community Group (GCSM). It is a distinguishing activity that proposes care with the participation of professionals, users and members of the family, without distinction of roles, i.e., all of them make use of the group and benefit from it, by questioning the historical differentiation of professional / coordinator, the one who helps, and the user / family, the one receiving aid. This research corpus consists of nine in depth open interviews and participant observation carried out over two years and six months, based on phenomenology, especially by Edmund Husserl. The analysis was structured in two guided moments, based on the phenomenological intentionality. In the first part, it focuses on the phenomenon description, in which the nine interviews and participant observation were presented, in order to give visibility to the practices and peculiarities of experiences on the GCSM, without the highlight of repetitions, respecting the chronological order of expositions, so that the interlocutor may share the intended meaning experienced by the person in the group. Later, in the comprehensive analysis, four units of meaning were identified through attention to trends shared on GCSM, namely: 1) \"group and its generative context\" which defined both a historicity and a generativity to the proposal knowledge and development ; 2) \"group lived as a therapeutic potential\", which highlighted the structural and compositional aspects, as well as the technical and methodological designs about GCSM among participants, in which the lived experience appears as a means of promoting care; 3) \"group as a space of paradoxes \" which, in turn, presented the difficulties and dilemmas found in participation, in particular, because of the symmetric feature of group composition and 4) \"group as an aesthetic experience\", which emphasized the use of artistic and cultural elements in the process of attention to everyday experience. The consolidation of this proposed study enabled the construction of a comprehensive corpus in that the GCSM is meant as a way of successful work by improving attention to the experience, different from the traditional focus on clinical hermeneutics, concomitant with a paradoxical context that drives to new purposes of its participants and creators. The research collaborated with the understanding of how people who suffer, become ill and work in mental health settings experience care in a symmetric group; it also defined an alternative way of care by means of phenomenological experience, representing a potentially open modality to other mental health care spaces

Compartilhamos um momento histórico em que Reformas Psiquiátrica e Sanitária mobilizam novos paradigmas de atenção e serviços em saúde. A cidadania, a horizontalidade das relações e o estímulo ao protagonismo dos diferentes agentes aparecem como premissas importantes nos trabalhos. Nesse contexto, o atendimento em grupo representou uma resposta viável por destacar a participação coletiva e reconhecer as trocas interativas como facilitadoras ao processo de saúde e doença. O presente estudo, em consonância a tais premissas, teve por objetivo compreender, por meio da perspectiva dos participantes, um grupo de promoção à saúde e de atenção à experiência cotidiana que tem se desenvolvido há quatorze anos em um serviço de referência em saúde mental na cidade de Ribeirão Preto: o Grupo Comunitário de Saúde Mental (GCSM). Trata-se de uma atividade que se singulariza por propor o cuidado com a participação de profissionais, usuários e familiares sem a distinção de papéis, ou seja, todos fazem uso e se beneficiam do grupo, questionando a histórica diferenciação de profissional/coordenador, aquele que ajuda e usuário/familiar, o que recebe a ajuda. O corpus da pesquisa foi constituído por nove entrevistas abertas em profundidade e pela observação participante ao longo de dois anos e seis meses, com base na Fenomenologia, especialmente de Edmund Husserl. A análise estruturou-se em dois momentos pautados na intencionalidade fenomenológica. No primeiro, destacamos a descrição do fenômeno em que foram apresentadas as nove entrevistas e a observação participante, de maneira a dar visibilidade às vivências e singularidades das experiências sobre o GCSM, sem o destaque de repetições, respeitando a ordem cronológica das exposições, de forma que o interlocutor compartilhe do significado intencionado pela pessoa sobre o vivenciado no grupo. Posteriormente, na análise compreensiva, foram identificadas quatro unidades de sentido por meio da atenção às tendências compartilhadas sobre o GCSM, a saber: 1) grupo e seu contexto generativo que demarcou uma historicidade e uma generatividade para a compreensão e desenvolvimento da proposta; 2) grupo vivido como potencial terapêutico o qual destacou os aspectos estruturais, de composição, os delineamentos técnicos e metodológicos significados sobre o GCSM entre os participantes, em que a experiência vivida aparece como uma via de promoção do cuidado; 3) grupo como espaço de paradoxos que, por sua vez, apresentou as dificuldades e dilemas encontrados na participação, em especial, pela característica simétrica da composição grupal e 4) grupo como uma vivência estética, que ressaltou o uso de elementos artísticos e culturais no processo de atenção à experiência cotidiana. A consolidação dessa proposta de estudo possibilitou a construção de um recorte compreensivo em que o GCSM é significado como uma forma de trabalho exitosa, pelo aprimoramento da proposta de atenção à experiência, diferente do foco tradicional nas hermenêuticas clínicas, convivendo, ao mesmo tempo, com um contexto paradoxal que impele a novas disposições de seus participantes e idealizadores. A pesquisa permitiu colaborar com o entendimento sobre o modo pelo qual as pessoas que sofrem, adoecem e trabalham em contextos de saúde mental vivenciam o cuidado em um grupo simétrico, além de demarcar uma maneira alternativa de cuidado pela via da experiência fenomenológica, representando uma modalidade potencialmente aberta a outros espaços de cuidado em saúde mental / We share a historical moment, in which Psychiatric and Sanitary Reforms still mobilize new paradigms of care and services in health. Citizenship, the horizontality of relations and the encouragement to the role of different actors appear as important premises in the works. In this context, the group service represented a viable answer as it highlights the collective participation and recognizes the interactive exchanges as facilitators to the health and disease process. This study, in line with such assumptions, aimed to understand, through the participants perspectives, a group of health promotion and attention to everyday experience that has been developed for fourteen years, thus becoming a reference service in mental health in Ribeirão Preto: The Mental Health Community Group (GCSM). It is a distinguishing activity that proposes care with the participation of professionals, users and members of the family, without distinction of roles, i.e., all of them make use of the group and benefit from it, by questioning the historical differentiation of professional / coordinator, the one who helps, and the user / family, the one receiving aid. This research corpus consists of nine in depth open interviews and participant observation carried out over two years and six months, based on phenomenology, especially by Edmund Husserl. The analysis was structured in two guided moments, based on the phenomenological intentionality. In the first part, it focuses on the phenomenon description, in which the nine interviews and participant observation were presented, in order to give visibility to the practices and peculiarities of experiences on the GCSM, without the highlight of repetitions, respecting the chronological order of expositions, so that the interlocutor may share the intended meaning experienced by the person in the group. Later, in the comprehensive analysis, four units of meaning were identified through attention to trends shared on GCSM, namely: 1) \"group and its generative context\" which defined both a historicity and a generativity to the proposal knowledge and development ; 2) \"group lived as a therapeutic potential\", which highlighted the structural and compositional aspects, as well as the technical and methodological designs about GCSM among participants, in which the lived experience appears as a means of promoting care; 3) \"group as a space of paradoxes \" which, in turn, presented the difficulties and dilemmas found in participation, in particular, because of the symmetric feature of group composition and 4) \"group as an aesthetic experience\", which emphasized the use of artistic and cultural elements in the process of attention to everyday experience. The consolidation of this proposed study enabled the construction of a comprehensive corpus in that the GCSM is meant as a way of successful work by improving attention to the experience, different from the traditional focus on clinical hermeneutics, concomitant with a paradoxical context that drives to new purposes of its participants and creators. The research collaborated with the understanding of how people who suffer, become ill and work in mental health settings experience care in a symmetric group; it also defined an alternative way of care by means of phenomenological experience, representing a potentially open modality to other mental health care spaces