Temas Sociais Journal, published by the Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário de Lisboa and the LusoGlobe Research Centre, is an academic forum dedicated to the publication, dissemination, and debate of ideas and research findings in the field of the social and human sciences, with a particular focus on social work, social policy, and social intervention.
Open Access Policy Temas Sociais Journal is an open access journal, providing free, immediate and unrestricted access to its contents, with the aim of promoting the circulation of scientific knowledge and academic exchange at national and international levels. By submitting their manuscripts, authors authorize the publication, dissemination and public communication of their work within the scope of the journal, while retaining full responsibility for the content of the submitted manuscripts. Copyright Authors retain copyright over their works and grant Temas Sociais Journal the right to publish, reproduce, disseminate and archive the contents in digital format, in accordance with the journal’s editorial policy and open access principles. Any reuse of published content must comply with the conditions established by the journal and with applicable copyright legislation. Code of Ethics and Good Practices Temas Sociais Journal is committed to the ethical principles of research and scientific publishing, promoting academic integrity, editorial transparency, and equal opportunities in access to knowledge. To this end, it adopts the following Code of Ethics and Good Practices: Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and of exclusive authorship, and must not have been previously published, disseminated, or submitted to another journal. Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for the publication of their work and for properly acknowledging all sources and references used. Research resulting from external funding must ensure, where applicable, authorization for the dissemination of the results. All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism detection, using the tool in force at the Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário de Lisboa. Articles are evaluated by external peer reviewers with expertise in the relevant field, under a double-blind peer review system, ensuring the anonymity of both authors and reviewers throughout the process. Research involving human participants must ensure informed consent, strict respect for data confidentiality, and, where applicable, approval by an Ethics Committee. Authorship must reflect exclusively those individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception and execution of the research, analysis of results, drafting of the manuscript, and approval of the final version.
A Integration of Social Work in the Public Library: A Comparative Study of San Francisco (USA), Edmonton (Canada), and Melbourne (Australia)
As public libraries continue to establish themselves as privileged spaces for social inclusion and community intervention, they have assumed an increasingly significant role in responding to the needs of populations experiencing vulnerability. In this context, the present article examines the integration of Social Work in public libraries, drawing on three international experiences: San Francisco (USA), Edmonton (Canada), and Melbourne (Australia). The study is grounded in a qualitative methodology based on literature review, analysis of institutional documents, and consultation of official library webpages, focusing on intervention models, professional profiles, governance frameworks, and community impacts observed during the implementation and consolidation of these programs. The results show that the presence of social workers in libraries contributes to promoting social inclusion, facilitating access to rights, and strengthening mediation with vulnerable populations. It concludes that the public library, as an open community space, constitutes a privileged context for developing interdisciplinary practices that reinforce its social mission.
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Poverty and retention in HIV care among individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy residing in Goba, Mozambique
This exploratory qualitative study examines the influence of poverty on adherence to and retention in continuous HIV care among HIV-positive individuals living in Goba, Namaacha District, Maputo Province, Mozambique, between October 2023 and August 2024. Findings indicate that financial deprivation continues to negatively affect adherence and retention despite the expansion of HIV services, limiting patients' ability to meet essential clinical and non-clinical needs. The study highlights the importance of integrating state-led basic social protection mechanisms into HIV care services.
Envelhecimento e cuidado em disputa: entre a mercantilização da vida e o cuidado integral como direito social
Human aging and healthcare are not neutral or homogeneous processes but are shaped by competing societal and health policy projects. This theoretical-critical essay examines contemporary conceptions of aging through the tensions between biologicist and economic approaches, on the one hand, and sociocultural and comprehensive perspectives, on the other. Aging should not be understood as a natural stage of the life course experienced equally by all individuals. Rather, it is a continuous process shaped by historical and social conditions, including cultural, socioeconomic, and structural factors that accumulate throughout life and become manifest in old age. By discussing the ethical, political, and institutional implications of these conceptions for the care of older people, the essay problematizes the naturalization of family responsibility and the retreat of the State from the field of care. In this context, it argues that care should be understood as a social right and as a relational and ethical practice that should guide the organization of comprehensive responses, thereby contributing to dignity and the right to age.
Social Housing and Territorial Stigma: Between Social Representations and the Lived Experiences of Residents
Social housing is a key instrument for ensuring the right to adequate housing. However, social housing contexts may be characterised by negative social representations and experiences of stigmatisation and discrimination that affect community cohesion. This study aimed to explore residents' perceptions of the impact of social housing on their quality of life, community relationships, and in how stigma associated with their residential area influences their lived experiences and social integration. A qualitative methodology was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with ten residents of social housing neighborhoods in northern Portugal. The findings indicate that, despite improvements in housing conditions and well-being, negative social representations of social housing persist. Although most participants did not report experiencing direct discrimination, they acknowledged the existence of stereotypes that shape public perceptions of these communities. The study highlights the importance of social work in promoting social inclusion, community participation, and stronger community cohesion.
Dual Diagnosis in the Context of Judicial Intervention: Challenges for Building Integrated Social Work Responses
Dual Diagnosis, defined as the coexistence of a mental disorder and a substance use disorder, represents a major challenge for health, justice, and social protection systems, requiring integrated responses. This study aimed to analyse how Dual Diagnosis is addressed in the intervention developed by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (Direção-Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais – DGRSP) and to discuss its implications for Social Work practice. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach was adopted, based on the documentary analysis of six case files involving individuals with Dual Diagnosis. Content analysis identified four key dimensions: social vulnerabilities, clinical heterogeneity, fragmented recognition of Dual Diagnosis, and limitations in interinstitutional coordination. The findings show that the simultaneous identification of mental illness and substance use does not necessarily translate into the recognition of Dual Diagnosis as an integrated condition, influencing assessment and intervention strategies. The study highlights the need for coordinated responses involving mental health, addiction services, the justice system, and social protection, while emphasising the role of Social Work in promoting integrated, person-centred interventions.
Beyond the Clinical Perspective: A Conceptual Proposal for Social Risk Screening at Hospital Admission
Early identification of social risk factors in hospital settings has gained increasing attention as a strategy to improve continuity of care and reduce trajectories of clinical and social deterioration. However, its integration into care pathways remains uneven and conceptually insufficiently defined. This article presents a conceptual proposal for social risk screening at hospital admission, grounded in health social work and integrated care. It clarifies the distinction between social assessment, social screening and risk stratification, synthesises recent literature on the implementation of social risk screening instruments, and proposes a brief screening grid aimed at the early identification of situations of vulnerability that may affect hospital discharge and hospital-to-community transitions. The article also discusses the scope, limitations and ethical implications of the proposed model, emphasising that it is a conceptual framework that has not yet been empirically validated.
Poverty on Unstable Ground: Structures, Experiences, and Narratives in Portuguese Society
Poverty continues to be widely interpreted as a lack of income or as the result of individual life trajectories. Drawing on the metaphor of a house built on unstable ground, this article conceptualises poverty as a structural and multidimensional phenomenon produced through the interaction of economic and social inequalities, public policies, and power relations. The article takes the form of a theoretical essay grounded in a critical review of the literature and the analysis of national and international statistical indicators. It examines the main theoretical approaches to poverty, the instruments used to measure it, the Portuguese context, and the role of public policies in addressing social inequalities. The article argues that poverty is neither a natural condition nor an exclusively individual problem, but rather the outcome of structural mechanisms that generate and reproduce vulnerabilities. It concludes that tackling poverty requires integrated strategies that combine redistribution, the guarantee of social rights, the strengthening of the welfare state, and the reduction of social inequalities.
This essay is part of the assessment activities of the course “Social Work: Theoretical-Methodological Foundations and Intervention in Reality – Contemporary Debate”, offered by a Graduate Program in Social Work in northern Brazil. Its object of study is the method in Marx, understood within the framework of historical-dialectical materialism, aiming to discuss its centrality in social research and, particularly, in Social Work research, highlighting fundamental categories and theoretical assumptions. Methodologically, this is a theoretical essay of a critical-dialectical nature, based on a theoretical-critical bibliographic review, emphasizing classical works by Karl Marx and authors from the Marxian tradition. As its main theoretical contribution, the article reaffirms the centrality of the critical-dialectical method in the production of social knowledge, emphasizing its conception of totality and the criterion of truth grounded in the unity between theory and practice, as essential mediations for an analytical perspective committed to the emancipatory character of theory.
Book Review: On the Science of Uncertainty: The Biographical Method in Social Research, by Franco Ferrarotti
The death of Franco Ferrarotti (1926–2024) lends particular urgency to rereading Sobre a ciência da incerteza: o método biográfico na investigação em ciências sociais (2013) and repositioning it within contemporary debates in the social sciences. Starting from the author’s critique of positivist hegemony, the autonomisation of technique, and the “fetishism of data”, this review examines the biographical method as an epistemological, methodological, and ethical proposal grounded in relationality, historicity, and attentive listening to research participants. The analysis brings Ferrarotti’s work into dialogue with later contributions to biographical research, particularly those concerning creative methods, vulnerability, trauma, and an ethics of care, and discusses its relevance in the face of hyper-quantification and the growing algorithmic mediation of social life. It concludes that Ferrarotti’s legacy remains crucial to a critical sociology capable of combining rigour and reflexivity without reducing the complexity of human experience to abstract indicators.
Viver o Envelhecimento: Como a dependência física e/ou cognitiva influencia os níveis de frustração emocional nos idosos em ERPI
This article examines the influence of physical and/or cognitive dependence on the emotional frustration levels of older adults living in the Alvalade Nursing Home (ERPI). Developed within the framework of Social Work Internship IV and the Monographic Report, the study adopted a qualitative approach, using a questionnaire administered to 10 residents, complemented by direct and participant observation. The study aimed to understand how the degree of dependence influences emotional frustration by analysing the relationship between loss of autonomy, adaptation to institutionalisation, and the role of the social worker in promoting well-being. The findings indicate that loss of autonomy is the main factor associated with emotional frustration and reveal discrepancies between residents' perceptions of their own abilities and the data obtained through observation. The study concludes that Social Work interventions focused on promoting autonomy, active participation, and person-centred, humanised care contribute to improving the emotional well-being of institutionalised older adults.
Escola, Família e Comunidade: Uma Aliança Estratégica para a Promoção de uma Educação de Qualidade no Complexo Escolar 415 Francisco Ramos da Cruz (Sumbe, Província do Cuanza-Sul, Angola)
A relação entre escola, família e comunidade constitui um dos principais fatores para a promoção de uma educação de qualidade, particularmente em contextos de desenvolvimento marcados por recursos institucionais limitados. Este estudo de caso qualitativo analisa a aliança entre escola, família e comunidade no Complexo Escolar 415 Francisco Ramos da Cruz, localizado no município do Sumbe, Província do Cuanza-Sul, Angola. Ancorado no modelo das esferas de influência sobrepostas de Epstein (2001) e na teoria dos sistemas ecológicos de Bronfenbrenner (1979), o estudo recolheu dados através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e grupos focais com 28 participantes seleccionados intencionalmente, incluindo 4 directores escolares, 4 professores e 20 pais/encarregados de educação. A análise temática, realizada segundo Braun e Clarke (2006, 2022), permitiu identificar quatro temas centrais: a centralidade da comunicação, a participação comunitária como catalisadora da melhoria educativa, as barreiras estruturais e socioeconómicas, e a liderança como força mediadora. Os resultados indicam que, embora exista um compromisso partilhado com a qualidade educativa, a participação permanece assimétrica e predominantemente informal. O estudo conclui com recomendações estratégicas para a institucionalização de estruturas de governação participativa e inclusiva nas escolas primárias angolanas.
Book Review: Hotel Costa Atlantis. Una historia de nunca acabar, by Tomás Fernández García
Recensão da obra Hotel Costa Atlantis. Una historia de nunca acabar de Tomás Fernández García Fernández García, T. (2026). Hotel Costa Atlantis. Una historia de nunca acabar. Ehquidad Editorial. 116 pp. ISBN: 979-13-992433-0-7. DOI: 10.15257/ehquidad.relatos.2026.116
Plural Portugal: Migration and the Challenges of Inclusion An Interview with Geographer Jorge Malheiros
Migrations represent a significant part of human history, influencing social, economic, demographic, and cultural changes while also playing a fundamental role in the growth of global society. Currently, we are experiencing a radical transformation in migration flow patterns. Portuguese society is no exception: it is diverse and becoming increasingly plural, reflected, among other aspects, in the significant presence of migrants from different cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds. This diversity should be understood broadly, encompassing cultural dimensions as well as bio-social dimensions. In the context of Social Work intervention with migrant populations, this diversity manifests in the needs and challenges faced by these individuals, requiring both technical and relational skills, as well as a deep understanding of the social, economic, and cultural dynamics shaping migration flows. To better understand these dynamics, a semi-structured interview was conducted with Professor Jorge Malheiros, a specialist in Migration Studies, aiming to identify the main challenges and impacts of superdiversity in Portuguese society. The interview was carried out by final-year Social Work students under the guidance of Professor Hélia Bracons.
Between Institutional Time and the Child’s Time
The protection of children and young people at risk constitutes a central axis of social policies and Social Work intervention, guided by the principle of the best interests of the child. Within the Portuguese child protection system, adoption is legally established as a permanent measure aimed at ensuring stability, secure attachment, and family integration; however, empirical evidence reveals its residual and often delayed application, following prolonged intervention trajectories and extended periods of residential care. This study aims to analyse the characteristics, challenges, and institutional trajectories associated with child protection processes involving children and young people with an adoption life project, monitored by a Court Technical Advisory Unit for Child Protection between 2024 and 2025. Methodologically, this is a descriptive mixed-methods study based on documentary analysis of 15 cases, combining qualitative content analysis with descriptive statistical analysis. The findings reveal prolonged intervention trajectories, frequently initiated at very early ages, marked by the persistence of risk factors—particularly neglect and parental dysfunction—and by the insufficiency of protective factors capable of promoting structural change in family conditions. The adoption life project is predominantly defined at a late stage, following the exhaustion of temporary measures, highlighting a significant tension between institutional timeframes and the child’s developmental time. This underscores the need for earlier assessments of parental capacity and timely decision-making oriented towards stability, secure attachment, and the holistic development of children.
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Money Issues in Foster Care: Practitioners and Carers' Insights
In Portugal there is an increasing demand for child foster care placements, however there is a shortage of carers within a solidary nature. Carers receive compensation for their service and professionalization is not considered. In light of the lack of knowledge in this area, our aim is to provide insights into financial matters, focused on remuneration’s impact on motivation levels to foster, and the evaluation of fostering experiences in relation to expenses. Thematic analysis of interviews with foster carers and practitioners (n=13) was informed by the Grounded Theory. The findings indicated financial considerations influence the motivation of specific applicant groups, namely unemployed. The financial strain associated with the direct and indirect costs of fostering was outweighed by the benefits of providing a family environment for foster children. Given the economic constraints, adequate compensation could be a form of recognition. To increase foster carers’ recruitment and retention it was advocated reimbursement of healthcare costs. Finally, we discuss implications for policy and practice and how the legal framework has evolved to carers’ dignified remuneration, tax and employment status.
Ageing in Place: between Autonomy and Social Support.
Population ageing poses increasing challenges to social policies, welfare systems and traditional housing models, requiring responses that promote autonomy, social integration and quality of life in later life. This article analyses the social, economic and housing conditions of older adults in Southern Europe and Scandinavia through a secondary analysis of data from the European Social Survey (2010), interpreted in light of the concepts of ageing in place, cohousing and coliving. A quantitative, exploratory and comparative methodology is adopted, focusing on variables such as economic conditions, household composition, co-residence and perceptions of loneliness. The findings reveal significant structural differences between the two regions, particularly regarding the role of family support, the strength of welfare systems and experiences of autonomy and social isolation. The analysis suggests that cohousing may represent a more structurally relevant response in contexts characterised by economic vulnerability and reliance on informal support, while coliving appears as a complementary solution, better suited to specific profiles of older adults with higher levels of autonomy. The article also highlights the central role of Social Work in mediating between individuals, communities and public policies, contributing to the development of housing responses tailored to the social inequalities of contemporary ageing.
Crescer em Acolhimento Residencial: Um modelo de intervenção focado em competências integradas
O acolhimento residencial (AR) de crianças e jovens deve proporcionar uma experiência holística de desenvolvimento. Atualmente, as casas de acolhimento (CA) enfrentam inúmeros desafios, evidenciando a necessidade de intervenções comprovadas, criativas e eficazes. O D’AR-Te é um projeto-piloto que teve como objetivo desenvolver um modelo de intervenção inovador para crianças e jovens em AR, promovendo fatores de proteção através de atividades que fortalecem competências pessoais, de socialização e de construção de relações. O projeto decorreu durante três anos, centrando-se em duas áreas principais: Promover o Eu (Desporto, Artes e Realidade Virtual) e Promover o Nós (atividades de grupo com as famílias e pares não institucionalizados). Para validar o modelo, 26 crianças e jovens em AR, com idades entre 6 e 20 anos, foram avaliados no início e no final do projeto, com foco nas competências pessoais, relacionais e académicas. Os resultados indicaram melhorias globais em todas as áreas avaliadas, sugerindo que o D’AR-Te teve um impacto positivo e poderá constituir um modelo válido e replicável para crianças e jovens em AR.
Contra-capa Temas Sociais n.º 9 | 2025
Editorial Temas Sociais n.º 9 | 2025
O Papel das organizações do terceiro setor na reabilitação psicossocial de pessoas com doença mental
The aim of the study was to analyze the role of third sector organizations in the psychosocial rehabilitation of people with mental illness in the context of community intervention in mental healthcare. The methodology is qualitative, using semi-structured interviews and categorical content analysis. Representatives from five organizations in Portugal participated in the study. The results show the relevance of community organizations in psychosocial rehabilitation and social inclusion, through training programs, socio-professional qualification and social support.
WORK PROCESSES AND INTERVENTION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE RNCCI
The aim of this article is to demonstrate the work processes and intervention of social workers in the National Network of Integrated Continued Care (RNCCI) in the North region of Portugal. As part of multidisciplinary teams, these professionals develop practices anchored in a holistic approach to health understood as a biopsychosocial and spiritual process. They draw up social diagnoses, plan, monitor and evaluate interventions with the aim of ensuring continuity of care in the community. In order to achieve this objective, a questionnaire was administered to fifty-two social workers who work in the RNCCI (North) in an inpatient setting. The results show that these professionals feel they have good working conditions despite the overload, low salaries and lack of professional career progression. In their intervention, they are faced with challenges relating to the emergency planning of discharges associated with the management of social cases and the fragility of formal and informal resources that ensure continuity of care in the community. The multidisciplinary team values the role that these professionals play in resolving complex social situations but does not always recognise their knowledge of the welfare system and public policies. It is therefore considered urgent to value and equip these professionals with critical and reflective skills that will enable them to tackle these obstacles by promoting actions that value the profession in the RNCCI, adopting practices adjusted to the complexity of the situations, in accordance with the needs of the beneficiaries of the services ensuring the continuity of quality integrated care in a community context.
Mentoring and Social Work: Paths of Reception and Integration in College Education
This essay presents a practical synthesis of the Mentoring Program of the Institute of Social Work of the Lusófona University, focusing on the role of the student mentor as an agent of reception, integration and promotion of academic success. The document explores the structuring objectives of the program, highlighting the importance of peer support in the process of adaptation to higher education, as well as the development of socio-emotional, communicational and relational skills that are fundamental for the integral formation of students. The mentor-mentee relationship is also analyzed as an element of trust, empathy and mutual growth, underlining the relevance of this practice for the construction of a more inclusive, humane and collaborative academic culture. Some testimonies from former mentors of the program are also presented. The text concludes by reinforcing the contribution of mentoring to the strengthening of the university community and to the realization of the values of Social Work in the educational context.
Sumário | Temas Sociais n.º 9 | 2025
A Evolução do Luto: Uma Breve Reflexão para a Intervenção Social
This article presents a brief reflection on grief as a universal and inevitable experience. Based on various models, such as that of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, this paper aims to be a theoretical contribution to the understanding of the stages of grief in social intervention. It addresses the different types of grief and distinguishes between normal and pathological grief, highlighting the growing relevance of this distinction in social intervention. The way it is experienced varies according to individual and cultural factors, so different risk factors that may be associated with pathological grief are presented with the aim of identifying the needs of the bereaved and providing appropriate support. As we get older, we are more likely to experience bereavement, and the main aim of this article is to promote a better understanding of this process in order to provide more effective and efficient psychosocial support to the older people/bereaved. Keywords: Grief; Theoretical Models; Risk Factors; Social Interventions.
Retratos da Rua: Perfil das Pessoas em Situação de Sem-Abrigo da Figueira da Foz
Homelessness is one of the most severe manifestations of social exclusion, reflecting multiple deprivations and the weakening of social and institutional ties. In Portugal, despite the efforts promoted by the National Strategy for the Integration of Homeless People, significant challenges remain in understanding the concrete needs of this population in local contexts. Based on a descriptive and quantitative approach, this study aimed to characterise the sociodemographic profile and perceived needs of People Experiencing Homelessness in Figueira da Foz, through the application of a sociodemographic questionnaire and an adapted version of the Needs Assessment Questionnaire. Data were collected from a sample of 27 individuals. The findings highlight housing, employment, and healthcare as central and recurring needs. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between sleeping location and individuals’ perception of their ability to overcome homelessness. These results reinforce the need for integrated social responses that promote dignity, citizenship, and autonomy.
As práticas do Serviço Social na resposta à pandemia no SAAS de Loures
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global social, economic, cultural and political impact, particularly on the most vulnerable groups. In the Social Work profession, covid-19 has triggered a restructuring of practices, with new challenges emerging in the field of intervention. This article seeks to analyze Social Work practices in response to the covid-19 pandemic in Loures, starting with an analysis of the causes and effects of the covid-19 pandemic, the policies and measures adopted in response to the pandemic, as well as Social Work practices in the Loures Social Assistance and Support Service. This municipality was chosen because Loures was one of the municipalities in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area most affected by covid-19, with a need to implement the public health and social support model, given the incidence of transmission chains of the virus. The practices unleashed at the Loures SAAS showed the profession's capacity for reinvention, the service provided in an organized manner through networking, resulting in successful intervention in response to the pandemic.
Comunicação Afirmativa em Contextos de Saúde: Competências do Serviço Social com Pessoas Trans
This article offers a critical reflection on the role of affirmative communication in the professional practice of social workers with trans and gender-diverse people in healthcare settings. Recognizing communication as an ethical, relational, and foundational competency for quality care, the article analyzes the communicational, institutional, and educational barriers that hinder equitable access to safe and inclusive services. It explores the impact of cisnormativity on healthcare practices, emphasizing the need for intersectional, culturally competent communication skills that respect gender self-determination. The role of social workers in promoting affirming environments and combating exclusion is highlighted, with a call for investment in specialized training and the critical transformation of organizational practices.