Social work students’ and professionals’ perceptions of discrimination in Portugal

LusoGlobe Research in Charge

• Nélson Ramalho
• Fátima Gameiro
• Paula Ferreira
• Ana Paula Garcia
• Jacqueline Marquesa
• Hélia Bracons

End

Abstract

Discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation is prohibited in the European Union, and one of its priorities is to build a “Union of Equality”. This means that social work students and professionals in Portugal must abide by the principles of equality and non-discrimination, which are enshrined in the European Union treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Their Code of Ethics requires them to be intolerant of negative discrimination, and they have a responsibility to denounce it. To this end, based on the Eurobarometer survey which examines attitudes towards discrimination, as well as the social acceptance of a variety of groups at risk of discrimination, this study aims to replicate this survey, in an adapted form, among social work students and professionals in Portugal with the aim of finding out i) their perception of discrimination in Portugal; ii) their experience of discrimination; iii) their feeling of comfort/discomfort with the presence, in their daily lives, of a person from a so-called discriminated group; iv) their perception of the syllabus content related to discrimination included in social work degree courses in Portugal; and v) their perception of the promotion of diversity in their work and university contexts.

Researchers

Nélson Ramalho (Coord.), Fátima Gameiro, Paula Ferreira, Ana Paula Garcia, Jacqueline Marques & Hélia Bracons

Associated Missions

Association of Social Work Professionals 17 universities with a degree in social work Social Work Student Groups

References

European Commission (2023). Special Eurobarometer 535 April-May 2023 – Discrimination in the European Union. European Commission.

Funding and Institution