Social work education: the Portuguese story in a local and global perspective

This article presents the general framework of social work education in Portugal covering its beginnings and more recent milestones. It focuses on the dynamics of break and continuity between its pivotal socio-political periods and international influences. The social work education itinerary in Portugal during the period between the Republican Regime foundation (1910), the constitution of Estado Novo (1933–1945), the succession of Salazar (1968), the revolutionary crises associated with the Carnation Revolution of 1974, and the academicisation period (1989 to the present) will be revisited, paying special attention to the underpinnings of theory and knowledge, social and political issues, and the impact on social work practice.