Políticas sociais: novas abordagens, novos desafios

Abstract

In a nutshell, the new generation of social policies privileges social insertion instead of risk subsidizing, active participation of beneficiaries instead of passive submission to professionals, personalization of the aid instead of mass provision, human proximity instead of distant solicitude. Commitment of beneficiaries, decentralized implementation of policies and local partnerships for management of programs are central features of the new active social policies. It constitutes a challenge for all and, in particular, for social scientists to unveil distortions in the implementation processes and to help policy makers and professionals to rethink social policies in order that these policies may recuperate their noble mission of reduce inequalities.