LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE. REALITY OR UTOPIA?

This paper argues, and poses a critical discourse on the true extent of the professional activity of the Local development as catalysts for social development of the population, in the application, development and implementation of active employment policies at Local. First, we present an approach to the concept of social policy, stressing the importance of combining their dual, both economic and social, demonstrating the level of local action as the most suitable for reducing the current unemployment situation. Secondly, based on the results of a case study of the region of Valencia La Ribera Alta, exposing a decalogue of findings that show the major shortcomings in the existing social model of local development.