The social professions in Portugal, 1910-1962

Abstract

This article focuses on the reconstitution of the social professions’ itinerary in Portugal during the I and II Republic, during the period that unfolds between its foundation (1910), the constitution of Estado Novo (1933-1945) and the succession of Salazar (1968), exploring, in particular, the visitadoras (visitors) as one of the central and paradigmatic characters of the constitution of social professions. The paper carries out an historiographical reconstitution based on secondary sources, exploring, especially, the influential figures and movements in the establishment of these emerging professions, the dynamics of rupture and continuity between its pivotal periods, international influences, as well as its gender dimension.