Risk Society and Social Work

Abstract Book of the 10th World Conference on Research in Social Sciences

Year: 2026

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Risk Society and Social Work

Prof. Ana Margarida Furtado

ABSTRACT:

The profound social, economic, technological, environmental, and political transformations of recent decades have contributed to the emergence of new configurations of risk and social vulnerability. Globalization, digitalization, labor market flexibility, demographic changes, recurring economic crises, climate change, and migration have contributed to the emergence of new social risks and the reconfiguration of vulnerabilities. In this context, the concept of risk society, developed by Beck (2001), assumes relevance for understanding the growing complexity of contemporary social problems and the challenges posed to Social Work. This study analyzes the relationship between risk society, new social risks, and the transformation of professional intervention, discussing the implications of these changes for practice. Social Work, as a profession committed to promoting human rights, social justice, and citizenship, is particularly challenged by these transformations. Traditional social problems coexist with new forms of exclusion, precariousness, and vulnerability, requiring innovative, integrated, and contextualized responses. This article aims to analyze the relationship between risk society and new social risks; understand the transformations of contemporary vulnerability; discuss the impacts of these changes on intervention in Social Work; identify challenges and recommendations for practice in the contemporary context. Based on a critical review of literature and theoretical reflection, it is argued that contemporary vulnerability demands more reflective, participatory, preventive, and human rights-centered intervention models. It is concluded that Social Work must reinforce its ethical, political, and emancipatory dimensions, contributing to the promotion of citizenship, social justice, and the defense of fundamental rights in contexts increasingly marked by uncertainty, precariousness, and inequality.

Keywords: Risks; Social Practice; New Social Risks; Contemporary Vulnerability; Social Intervention