This article presents elements for the debate about the proposals related to social protection that have been identified in the context of regional economic blocks and of the contradictions for neoliberal globalization. These are highlighted by the proposals articulated in the European Union for the organization of the European social model, including its problems and perspectives. The paper also discusses social protection in the Mercosur countries where, although there is not the same intensity of analysis as in the European debate, it is possible to identify common points in the design of contemporary public social policies and social rights. In conclusion, the paper presents some challenges that this reality presents to research about Social Work.
economic blocks; social protection; Social Work