Trabajo Social en España: contextos históricos, singularidades y desafíos actuales

Abstract

Este artículo analiza la naturaleza y construcción histórica del denominado Estado de Bienestar en España así como las particularidades del proceso de construcción y consolidación del Trabajo Social como profesión y disciplina. Muestra el importante papel de la profesión en la implementación, organización y consolidación de la red pública de servicios sociales con el predominio del modelo burocrático-administrativo profesional. Concluye indicando los principales desafíos actuales en un contexto de fuerte crisis del modelo económico capitalista y la radicalización de la cuestión social.

NGOs IN SPAIN AND SOUTH AFRICA: IN THE LINE OF TWO FIRES

“…Therefore, the origins of Spain's local NGO sector, although also born out of a need to fill the vacuum of services as in South Africa, were more strongly linked to the Catholic Church and the families of those in need of services, such as associations for parents of people with intellectual disabilities and the National Organisation for the Blind in Spain (ONCE, 2014). Following the death of Franco in 1975, the ushering in of the newly democratic constitution of 1978, and the political changes brought about by the socialist government under Felipe Gonzalez from 1982-1996, Spanish society witnessed the implementation of welfare reforms and expansion, in terms of pension funds, national healthcare systems and the provision of social services (Barbero, 2002;Matos-Silveria, 2013). During this time the central government recognised its public responsibility in providing basic services such as education, healthcare, social security and social welfare, and acknowledged the essential role of the third sector in such service provision.…”

Trabajo Social en España: contextos históricos, singularidades y desafíos actuales

“…In the first years of the establishment of the new social services, professionals had to handle a significant lack of resources needed for conducting their work. They were under strong pressure to adopt urgent and assistance-oriented interventions in detriment to conducting a reflexive and critical professional practice (BARBERO, 2002). It must be considered that this process took place under socio-economic conditions that were very different from those in the countries that inspired the policies and implemented them nearly 20 years earlier.…”

“…There was a greater approximation to the population, through community work that sought to detect social problems in the neighborhoods. With the support of the democratic municipal governments, agreements were reached with civic entities and social services centers began operations (BARBERO, 2002). This is a relevant period for the consolidation of democratic stability in Spain and its location in the European context coincides with a substantial increase of social public spending.…”

“…Priority was given to administered management of social problems (processing documents, granting payments, automatic application of resources, derivation of demand etc.) in detriment to intervention based on the interactions and stimulus and support for collective processes and social relations (BARBERO, 2002). g) Debility in the construction of knowledge about and from social-work.…”

“…Given this situation of structural violence that is a frontal attack on the pillars of the welfare state, Spanish social workers have reacted and denounced the reduction of public services to the minimum. Social services, for example, are the main context of the work of the profession (BARBERO, 2002), but they are now being reduced, possibly to be privatized.…”