An Approach to the Meaning Chilean Social Workers Attribute to Childhood Social Intervention

Abstract

This is a qualitative research that investigates the meaning social workers attribute to childhood social intervention considering the current context of social issues in Chile. The study sought to learn how social workers describe the socio-political and economic context in which they operate, as well as the values and purposes that base their social intervention. The results show an increasingly complex and challenging scenario of intervention in the social sphere, marked by phenomena such as violence, weakness of community ties, and severe mental health problems. The workers’ intervention currently occurs in risky and precarious environments, in labor relations that are also precarious, which negatively affect the quality of the professional activities. Also, the study reveals that public policies implemented are not appropriate to ensure the rights of vulnerable children.

Keywords: Social intervention; Childhood; Social issues; Meanings; Social work