Serviço social e tecnologias da informação e comunicação: as tendências da produção científica

Abstract

This dissertation aimed to analyze the trends in scientific production regarding the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Social Work, investigating how this field of study has addressed the impacts, challenges, and contradictions that this phenomenon presents in the contemporary professional context. It is understood that ICTs do not represent merely a technical advancement or isolated modernization, but rather constitute elements integrated into the dynamics and tensions of the capitalist mode of production, significantly influencing the practices, methods, and meanings of professional work. The analysis also considers the relationship between technology and the social being, providing a background for the other mediations discussed throughout the work. Initially, the study discusses the transformations in the world of labor and the relationship between technology and labor processes, highlighting how ICTs permeate productive restructuring, altering processes, conditions, and the organization of work. In the post-pandemic context, the virtualization, digitalization, and informatization of services have intensified these changes, directly impacting the modus operandi of social workers.Focusing specifically on Social Work, the research demonstrates that the profession plays a distinct role within the sociotechnical division of labor, mediating the expressions of the social question and engaging with the contradictions of the capitalist mode of production. The incorporation of ICTs into the work process is therefore not neutral, but loaded with ethical, political, and technical implications. While technology can enhance access and service quality, it also poses risks related to increased workloads, the precarization of working conditions, and the reproduction of institutional control mechanisms. The analysis of selected scientific production—comprising theses and dissertations—revealed that the debate on ICTs in Social Work is still incipient and presents significant gaps. Empirical studies mainly emphasize the technical-operational dimension, focusing on routine changes based on the direct experiences of social workers, especially regarding the impacts of technology on work processes, record-keeping tools, and communication with service users, including privacy breaches related to the use of digital systems, platforms, and remote services. In contrast, bibliographic analyses highlight the need to deepen ethical-political and theoretical-methodological reflections, questioning the advancement of ICTs and their implications for the professional practice of social workers. These studies point to contradictions between the potential of technologies and the risks of their instrumentalization and the erosion of the profession’s critical function. The dissertation emphasizes that ICTs directly affect professional routines, transforming work organization, communication methods, documentation processes, and institutional practices. It underscores the emergence of new professional demands that require a critical and ethical perspective on technology, considering its role in expanding social justice and upholding the profession’s principles. At the same time, the ethical-political dimension is fundamental to revealing possibilities for resistance and innovation in the face of digitalization and automation—processes that can either strengthen critical practice or reinforce inequality and institutional control. Finally, this dissertation contributes to the development of a more critical and conscious field of reflection on the role of ICTs in Social Work, stressing the importance of critical and ethical professional training to address technological transformations, especially as this remains an ongoing and evolving phenomenon. It recommends that the debate remain dynamic and interdisciplinary, ensuring that technology is used as a tool to expand access to rights and social justice—not merely to intensify labor and institutional control. The study also proposes future research to further investigate the concrete impacts of ICTs in various institutional contexts and the strategies of resistance and innovation developed by social workers.