Participation as a learning focus in permanent education in the Single System of Social Assistance

Abstract

This article organizes and presents experiences of research, teaching and intervention of the authors in processes of permanent education with social service workers. It presents theoretical and ethical references of problem based learning (PBL) as an active method of workers reflections within the processes of permanent education. It recovers the historical trajectory of participation as social policy guideline afterwards the Constitution of 1988. It analyses the boundaries of institutionalized spaces of participation. It contextualizes the challenge of participation as method and outcomes of social work. It presents gradation of participation as index of participation in social work in order to offer ways of thoughts and improvement of social work practices.