Abstract
This article, part of a masters’ research, sought to investigate the social representations built by psychologists working at Centro de Referência de Assistência Social (CRAS – Reference Center for Social Assistance) on users of the service. It aims to demonstrate the existence of a relational dimension encompassing professionals and users and, therefore, to evidence possibilities of social and political changes both in the context of life of recipients of social assistance and towards the field of psychology as practiced in Sistema Único de Assistência Social (SUAS – Universal System of Social Assistance). 21 psychologists working in CRAS have been interviewed. Among the results, it was noticed the presence of a historical assistentialism legacy and the extent to which relationships between professionals and users are likely to provoke social and political change processes. In parallel, it is also possible to think how the inclusion of such dimensions and the ethical one may lead to advances in the field of psychology, causing it to be more politically committed to the needs of that population.
psychology; social work; CRAS