O Serviço Social no IFRN: uma análise da sua inserção e consolidação institucional

Abstract

Social Work, as a regulated profession guided by the principles of social justice, equity, and the universalization of rights, has occupied strategic spaces within Brazilian public policies. Among these spaces, the educational field stands out, particularly in federal educational institutions, where the role of the social worker has become increasingly relevant in the face of the challenges posed by contemporary social, economic, and political circumstances. In this context, the aim of this Thesis is to analyze the insertion and consolidation of Social Work at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), highlighting its historical trajectory, contributions to student assistance policies, and the challenges faced today. To this end, three specific objectives were defined: to historically contextualize the presence of Social Work in Brazilian education, focusing on vocational education; to identify the main institutional milestones and transformations in professional practices at IFRN; and to reflect on the professional strategies adopted in response to the contemporary demands of educational policies. The research adopts a qualitative approach, of a historical-documentary nature, based on content analysis, guided by historical-dialectical materialism and anchored in the ethical-political project of the profession. This choice is grounded in the proposal to critically understand the insertion and consolidation of Social Work at IFRN, considering historical, institutional, social, and political conditioning factors. The study was developed through a bibliographical review, analysis of institutional documents, legislation, and administrative records, as well as the analysis of the practical experience gained during the author’s supervised internship at the institution. This experience provided a broader perspective on professional practices, user demands, and the specificities of the educational context, linking them with contemporary debates on educational policies and their intersections with Social Work, which form the basis for a critical analysis of education and professional intervention in this field. The contribution of this study lies in the historical and analytical systematization of the trajectory of Social Work at IFRN, providing theoretical and practical subsidies for strengthening the profession within the educational context. Its relevance lies in promoting reflections on the institutional recognition of the category and expanding the debate on the strategic role of professional practice in the implementation of student retention and inclusion policies. The results obtained demonstrate that the consolidation of Social Work at IFRN is directly related to institutional, political, and social transformations of the past few decades, emphasizing the strategic role of the profession in addressing the manifestations of the social issue, mediating between individuals and institutions, and contributing to the implementation of policies aimed at students’ retention and academic success.