{"id":9251,"date":"2021-09-14T15:43:50","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T15:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/?post_type=cde-knowledge-base&p=9251"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:05:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:05:33","slug":"what-is-our-theory-of-change","status":"publish","type":"cde-knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/knowledge-base\/building-evidence\/what-is-our-theory-of-change\/","title":{"rendered":"What is our theory of change?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What is our theory of change?<\/strong><\/h3>

We have learned that we are not the ones who are going to end domestic violence in the Latin@ community; it is the community who will end domestic violence. All we need to do is put the work back into their hands. <\/span>In this section, we are sharing our special ingredient<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>our theory of change. We hope that it will be useful to other similar organizations who share this value and who are looking to conceptualize their special ingredients or provide support for working from this perspective.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Conceptual framework for cultural specific community based change<\/strong><\/h4>

This visual is meant to reflect an approach to ending domestic violence (DV) through a cultural specific, community based lens. This approach centers the capacity of communities to create change with the understanding that domestic violence intersects with many other systems of oppression. It reflects various aspects of change at different levels (e.g., individual, family, community, etc.) that we consider critical from this perspective. It is based on multiple types of evidence (community practitioner expertise, community member expertise and documented evidence including academic research) and the community capacity theory of change.<\/p>

Values\/principles<\/strong><\/h4>

This approach to ending domestic violence (DV) is grounded in the understanding of DV as a violation of human rights. DV occurs within a larger system of inequality and oppression, thus instances of sexism, racism, classism, and others that are often experienced at the same time. The realities of survivors are central; therefore, the expertise of survivors and their families must guide the work we do and how we do it. Other values that are necessary when working from this perspective include mutual respect and humility, examining and understanding privileged identities, valuing diversity, and honoring strengths.<\/p>

These values and principles are foundational for change to occur in the four areas listed below (community, family, individual, organizational, policy, and socio-political).\u00a0 To end domestic DV in our community change must happen at all of these levels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Social change occurs through strengthening the capacity of communities to end DV. Ending DV will occur by putting the work back into the hands of community, by for example, having community members engage in both knowledge building and exchange. This approach seeks to redistribute power from the organization to the community in order to avoid recreating or perpetuating oppressive systems. Organizations that work from this approach provide opportunities to share power with community members who can influence the organization at every level. Some examples include:<\/span><\/p>