Health education Groups have been considered spaces where produces educational interventions, whose ultimate objective is adherence to treatment. This is done through the enhancement of medical knowledge and the assumption of ignorance of the people who gets sick. In Brazil, there are few anthropological studies about these groups that take place within the official health services. This approach has shown relevant, since the experience with chronic illness is closely intertwined with the types of services and health professionals they encounter in the public health system. This study was based on the assumption that such groups can examine ways of operating the therapeutic model for type 2 diabetes. It tried to apprehend these groups as instances of producing senses and meanings related to the disease process. So we had as objective to understand the discursive, structural, and symbolic aspects that make up the operating modes of the therapeutic model for management type 2 diabetes into health education groups in primary health care center. Fieldwork was conducted between the months of August/2011 September/2012 in Southeast Brazil. The study included 58 individuals (patients, professionals and managers). Of this total, 33 were interviewed individually or in focus groups. In this context, the management of type 2 diabetes occurs by means of technology and ethics of self-care of individuals requiring self-control, self-monitoring and discipline. It highlighted the following: the itineraries of patients until entry in groups; the "uncertain" and "whispers" in meetings; negotiations clinical follow; meanings assigned to groups, to some extent, oppose and feed back; the social uses of the groups; systems of privileges and gradations between participants; shares and the exchange of experiences and knowledge in deals with chronic illness; criticism and suggestions that informants make the workings of groups, despite the "shy" or "intimidated", the role of the bond and relationships as elements that confer symbolic efficacy to the medical act and health education. Thus, we observe the existence of a crisis in the health education model. It demonstrates the differences and complementarities between the technical and cultural/relational dimensions of care reflecting the cultural reference points and social values of the broader Brazilian society.