Eugenics in dealing with expressions of social issues and in Brazilian social work

Abstract

This article addresses racism and patriarchy in the constitution of social issues in Brazil and the influence of eugenics on Brazilian social work. Through bibliographical and documentary research, it holds the concept that race and gender are constitutive elements of the social issue in Brazil and that eugenics was a contribution in dealing with its expressions, with implications for professional practice. This study situates social work as a historical product of capitalist social relations and highlights the manifestations of conservatism in the genesis of the profession, marked by eugenics. Currently, social work takes a radical position in favor of the construction of a new societal order and defends its link to broader struggles to combat all forms of exploitation and oppression.