Meanings of family with psychologists from Specialized Social Assistance Reference Centers

• Grant number: 24/07485-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Social Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Laura Vilela e Souza
• Grantee: Giovanna Carbonera Agrella
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Family can be described in different ways, whether through narratives related to its historical-cultural, political character or understood as a space for elaborating lived experiences. The concept of a family consisting of a heterosexual couple and their children began to be questioned when differences between the model and everyday relationships emerged. When assuming a social constructionist perspective, family is understood as a discursive practice that results from negotiations between interlocutors in social interactions. With the Federal Constitution, Brazil begins to expand its discourses on family within the scope of Social Assistance. Public policies are beginning to highlight the importance of socio-family matriciality, stating that it is essential to understand the family based on their territorialized experiences. The National Social Assistance Policy (PNAS) proposed an organization between the spheres of Social Protection, namely: Basic Social Protection (PSB) and Special Social Protection (PSE). Within the PSE service division, the Specialized Social Assistance Reference Centers (CREAS) are responsible for monitoring families with weakened or broken ties, identifying their needs and making referrals. In relation to the psychologist at CREAS, the Federal Psychology Council states that it is a psychosocial and not clinical activity, based on interdisciplinarity and appreciation of multiple local knowledge. In this context, there may be some challenges, mainly in relation to the training of psychologists that emphasizes "intrapsychic" processes to the detriment of social, cultural and historical issues. The present study was built from the perspective of social constructionism and aims to understand the meanings of family produced by psychologists who work at CREAS and the possible implications for professional practice. Semi-structured interviews will be carried out with professionals who work in CREAS in the Ribeirão Preto-SP region. The interviews will be transcribed and later analyzed with the support of Braun and Clarke's Reflective Thematic Analysis and the social constructionist perspective in research.