Professional Identity of Social Work in times of civic-military dictatorship. An Analysis from the Social Work Collective (1981-1990)

Abstract

The civil-military dictatorship caused multiple ruptures in the country's social life, specifically affecting professions in the social field. In the case of social work, these disruptions can be observed on at least two levels. The first was immediate, involving intervention in universities, where repression and political persecution were imposed, in addition to dismissals and exonerations that took place in state agencies. A second level was the abrupt change in university education and professional intervention. In response to this, the Social Work Collective (1981) was formed with the aim of creating a space for exchange and reflection on professional practice to problematize and rethink disciplinary approaches to social intervention considering the country's situation and the consequences for the popular sectors. In this article, we propose to revisit this experience with the aim of problematizing the construction of professional identity and social intervention promoted by this collective. Methodologically, we approached this topic through interviews with its members and the analysis of documents, particularly the institutional report and the magazine Apuntes para Trabajo Social, published by this collective. The study accounts for the construction of professional identities, which were in dispute, and emphasizes a set of practices and principles of professional action that focus on respect for human dignity, human rights, and popular reorganization.