SOCIAL SERVICE IN BRAZIL: GENESIS, NATURE AND CHALLENGES IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

GÊNESE, NATUREZA E DESAFIOS NA CONTEMPORANEIDADE

Abstract

This article addresses the conceptions of genesis and nature of Social Work in Brazil, as well as presents some aspects of the social-historical meanings of the profession. Considering the numerous and significant changes taken place throughout history,the process of legitimizing Social Service and consolidating its functions in society and in the Brazilian State is analyzed, on the basis of a methodology which is essentially a review of Literature on the subject. The timeline, in turn, covers the period of 1930, when the profession was institutionalized in Brazil, in a context of intensification of the social issues, to the years 2000. Finally, in view of the undeniable intellectual maturity of the category of social workers, which began in the 1980´s, the article seeks to examine the challenges faced by Social Service in the country, given the setbacks in the preservation of rights and the emerging conservatism and neoconservatism of contemporary times.