SOCIAL EDUCATION IN BRAZILIAN SOCIAL ASSISTANCE AND TERRITORY

Abstract

Social educators have had their roles recognized in the Social Assistance Policy in Brazil since 2014. A new National Social Assistance Policy was established, and the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) was developed in 2004. Since then, the territory has been incorporated as the organizational basis of public policy. This article aims to understand how the role of social educators is conceptualized within the territory. To achieve this, legislation, regulations, guidelines, and continuing education materials were analyzed for SUAS teams, aiming to understand how the concept of territory is addressed and how the profession of social educator is understood. Similarly, a literature review was conducted to identify works related to social education and territory. The territorial dimension in SUAS aims to consider, both for the implementation of services and for working with the population, the heterogeneity present in the country, taking into account for different cultures, relationships, and also the potentialities present in territories to address social vulnerabilities. It was observed that social educators do not have clearly defined responsibilities regarding their role in the territory, even though this is a fundamental issue in SUAS. It is understood that it is not possible to conceive a social education that enables the formation of citizenship and advocates for rights without considering the territory in its various dimensions, including its cultural, political, economic, and social aspects, as well as proper initial and ongoing training for these educators.