RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIAL NETWORKS AND THE FAMILY DYNAMICS OF LOW- INCOME WORKING WOMEN Raimundo Abello Llanos, Camilo Madariaga Orozco, and Omar Sierra García Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia ■ This article presents the results of research conducted on social networks and family dynamics of poor women in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. The social networks that develop among working women living in the city’s poor neighborhoods are identified within a survival-needs perspective. Additionally, the relationships that develop from such family dynamics are also analyzed. The study was conducted within a single-group ex post facto design, with 200 families of working women from impoverished neighborhoods. These families were studied using structured interviews, that allowed for descriptive analysis of the collected data to identify the social networks and the family dynamics. The relationships that were found between these two variables are discussed. The research findings clearly suggest the usefulness of social networks as an alternative means for social exchange, and within family interactions such as parent–child communication, the exercise of parental authority, affective relationship, and dealing with family conflicts. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. INTRODUCTION Since the 1950s, there has been substantial interest in social development, within scientific, political, and general discourse. Concern for development has even in- creased in recent years in the face of conditions of economic and social anguish that, to a greater or lesser degree, are experienced in Latin America. The presence of pover- ARTICLE JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 27, No. 3, 243–255 (1999) © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CCC 0090-4392/99/030243-13 Work on this article was supported by research grant 1215-10-671-95 from the Colombian Institute for the De- velopment of Science and Technology “Franasco Jose de Caldas”–Colciencias. This research was approved by the Center of Research in Human Development–CIDHUM. Correspondence to: Raimundo Abello Llanos, Universidad del Norte, Apartado Aereo 1569-51820, Barran- quilla, Colombia. E-mail: rabello@guayacan.uninorte.edu.co