[Popular education, community health, and social support in a context of globalization]

The author discusses difficulties experienced by working-class groups in a crisis context, relating to the demands they make on authorities. Popular participation has traditionally referred to activities resulting in pressure on authorities for improved basic services. One can contend that activities commonly known as popular education and community health are currently at a stalemate. The social support theory is proposed as a form of not only discussing the crisis in health services, but also the health model as being basically curative. In this sense, concepts such as "control over one's life", "life making sense", and "solidarity" are discussed as important factors for prevention and maintenance in the field of health education. Although it was a context of crisis which led to the discussion of the social support theory, the latter's value does not depend on such a context.