Controle social nas políticas sociais: desafios e estratégias em um contexto de reconfigurações societárias

Abstract

The article is structured around three main axes. The first discusses the ethical-political project of Social Work, emphasizing its alignment with the defense of human rights, democracy, and social justice. This professional framework guides social workers in their engagement with social control spaces, reinforcing their commitment to democracy, popular participation, and social transformation. The second axis examines societal reconfigurations in the context of neoliberalism and neoconservatism, which intensify social inequalities and undermine public policies. The crisis of capitalism, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated income concentration and reduced investments in social policies, demanding greater oversight and civil society participation. The third axis addresses social control spaces, such as management councils, highlighting their importance in democratizing public policies. However, challenges such as bureaucratization, information asymmetry, weak popular participation, and the State's resistance to sharing decision-making power are identified. Despite these obstacles, these spaces remain strategic arenas for advocating fairer societal projects. Conclusion: Social control is a crucial mechanism for ensuring rights and implementing democratic social policies. Its effectiveness depends on overcoming structural challenges and strengthening popular participation, in collaboration with social movements and committed professionals like social workers. The article underscores the need for collective strategies to consolidate social control as an instrument for social transformation.