Social Work in Germany: aspects of its legal, theoretical and practical bases

Abstract

Social Work in Germany began with work to serve the poor. It became a profession with the consolidation of the Welfare State, which, to guarantee its legitimacy, acts in the fields of social service and security. Professionals in the field focus on the realization and execution of social security policies that guarantee constitutional rights, principally those concerning old age, illness, accidents, unemployment and social assistance. The work of the professional is undertaken in the fields of social service and health care and work with families, children and adolescents. This article, in addition to discussing the process of professional education and the current challenges in the profession in Germany, offers some reflections about the profession in the Brazilian reality, principally in relation to the committed and engaged work of Social Work in the implementation of social policies in Brazil.