Social Work in Brazil in the Vortex of Three crises: Pandemic, Social and Political

Social work in Brazil advocates a radical and critical model of social work theorisation and practice. This article explores the Brazilian theoretical and practice model, identifying the profession as being in the vortex of Covid-19, increasing state economic austerity, attacks on previously hard-won progressive social policy and increasing inequality and precarity. This provides a challenging practice environment. The professional re-conceptualisation model proposes that social work needs to fully theorise social difficulties to ensure that the profession intervenes to address the causes of the problems, rather than manifestations underlying them. This is undertaken through aligning itself with working-class conflicts, promoting rights and refusing to accept the rolling back of support already won. The Brazilian framework, located within its social realities, offers an opportunity for social work globally to consider what lessons can be learnt, to recognise the uniqueness of its perspectives and provide solidarity through its recognition. This article seeks to explore the unique theoretical and practice perspective of social work in Brazil, within the context of social policy reform, political crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. It concludes by calling for social work solidarity globally to recognise the Brazilian professional movement and consider its radical and critical approach for contemporary practice.