Practice and professional experience in Brazilian Social Work: theoretical foundation, approximations and differences

Objective. The results of the research "Theorical-methodological Foundations and ethicalpolitical positioning in Social Work: professional action critically referenced today" are presented in this article.The terms "practice" and "experience" are analyzed based on conceptions and theoretical foundations used by the authors. Methodology. A total of 30 articles published in journals of the Social Work area in Brazil, from 2006 to 2016, and 3 theses found on CAPES portal (2013-2019) written by social workers, whose content indicated the centrality of the terms "practice" and "experience" to refer to professional action, were analyzed. The relationship between "practice" and "experience" was also analyzed to understand the similarities and differences in the appropriation of these terminologies. Results and conclusion. It was found that the approach on professional practice, a topic discussed in Social Work since the 1970s, reveals a theoretical accumulation that allows a better apprehension of the term, while the discussion on the conception of professional experience still needs greater theoretical foundation.