The process of making women full citizens in its family context: an ethical challenge to social service

Abstract

The purpos e of this article is to give relevance to some categories that emerge in personal narratives of the women interviewed by the "Núcleo de Estudos da Criança, Adolescente e Familia" (Nucleus for the Study of the Child, Adolescent and Family) in the Social Assistance Department at UFSC. The qualitative research carried out in1994 and 1995, had as its universe those who were served by institutions, with training are as linked to the Nucleus and located in Greater Florianópolis. The daily life, the work and the solidarity networks in which these families are immersed, provide abundant material for analysis, which shows evidence of the woman/mother as the figure at the prow, regarding both the production and reproduction of the labor force, while in the affective sphere, she is the one who guarantees the maintaining of the family line. The process of making the woman/mother a full citizen constitutes an ethical/political challenge to Social Service.