REFLEXÕES CRÍTICAS SOBRE DEMOCRACIA E LIBERDADE COMO PRINCÍPIOS NO CÓDIGO DE ÉTICA DO SERVIÇO SOCIAL

Abstract

In 2023, the current Code of Ethics of Social Work celebrates its 30th anniversary, making it significant to reflect on the challenges and limitations of the profession in the current conjuncture of capital's offensive. This article aims to discuss democracy and freedom as guiding principles of this code, in light of the Marxist perspective. Through a theoretical approach and literature review, this article stimulates critical analysis of these concepts to provide a foundation for reflecting on the paths of the profession in contemporary times. The issues that guided the construction of this code remain relevant to the direction of the profession and critical education, particularly in the face of the growing influence of neoconservative values in some countries over the past decades. These values tend to undermine the historical struggles of the working class and marginalized groups, focusing solely on capital interests in the lives of individuals and communities. On the other hand, the ongoing fight of social movements representing vulnerable populations demonstrates that the historical strength of the working class remains alive in the face of various forms of oppression, with the aim of human emancipation and that the code should be celebrated as an achievement of the category over a corporate project under this agenda.