Institutionalisation of social work in Portugal (1935): contribution to a history of assistance

Description

In Portugal, professional Social Work was foreseen long before his birth in 1935. Recognising the problems that affected the Portuguese society since the end of the monarchic period – in particular poverty, low family budgets, poor and unsanitary housing, lack of hygienic conditions, and infant mortality – several proposals to reorganize the assistance were forged during the First Republic, aspiring the «help of the other» in a more modern, scientific and rationalized way. However, it was necessary to wait until the New State’s (Estado Novo) construction phase, so a new national conjuncture in relations between the Church, State and intellectual movements should prove opportune for the institutionalization of Social Work in Portugal. This communication focuses precisely on the process that led to the opening of the first professional training school of Portuguese social workers (1935), distinguishing, by its peculiar relevance, the role of hygienist current, catholic social movement, and feminine elites.

Period	2 Jul 2011
Event title	42nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies
Event type	Conference
Location	Lisboa, PortugalShow on map