Abstract:

Social Work is an academic discipline that promotes social development and change, social cohesion, empowerment, and human advancement. The values of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversity are essential to social work. Embedded in the social sciences and humanities but endowed with its own conceptual framework, social work connects people with social structures to respond to life's challenges and improve personal and social well-being.

The present study aims to explore and understand how curriculum design, over time, reflects the emergence and institutionalisation of Social Work within the framework of the Social Sciences and Humanities and the theoretical-methodological evolution of Social Work. To this end, it was necessary to explore and understand how higher education curricular proposals problematise the social construction not only of their theory, but also of their own methodologies and practices.

To this end, a documentary analysis was carried out covering all the curricular plans of higher education in Social Work in Portugal, from their emergence to the present day. The first document dates to 1939 and the analysis ends with documents relating to the study plans accredited and currently in operation in Portuguese Higher Education.

The results point to the existence of an articulation between qualification and labour market, which has repercussions on the definition of competences and the very status of the profession. There is a clear evolution not only in terms of professional competences, but also in the fields of activity. There is a consistent movement towards higher education in Social Work, together with the development not only of the profession itself but also of the social and human sciences.

Keywords:

Social work, curriculum, curriculum design, profession, higher education.