Psychology and Social Welfare: Crisis and Setbacks after the End of the Popular-Democratic Cycle

Abstract

Amidst the 60th anniversary of the regulation of Psychology in Brazil, this study highlights the space and debate that Social Welfare has gained in the history of our science and profession, outlining a panorama of the profession in the SUAS between 2011 and 2019. This paper dwells on the repercussions that Social Welfare has faced and its effects on the profession, based on the difficult political conjuncture that plagues the country, resulting from the closure of the Popular Democratic Cycle with the 2016 coup, the adoption of economic austerity policies imposed by subsequent governments and the dismantling of public policies. This quantitative study uses microdata collected from the SUAS Census, in the indicated period. Results show a slowdown in the expansion of the SUAS Network’s equipment and the training of work teams, including Psychology professionals, from 2016 onwards. The professional profile of SUAS psychologists is still made up mostly of women, aged between 30 and 39 years old, with only undergraduate degrees. These findings emphasize the enhanced job insecurity, an aspect that falls more heavily on female professionals when compared to men working in the SUAS. In conclusion, Social Welfare remains an important area for the absorption of psychologists, especially in the beginning of their careers, but with greater job insecurity, which weighs more heavily on female professionals.

Keywords:
SUAS; Social policy; Psychology; Professional profile