Social Work and the Professional Perspective in the Litoral or Coastal Region of the Province of Manabí

Abstract

The perspective of the Social Work profession is a subject that requires in-depth analysis in order to understand the significant changes that have been generated in recent times. This research focuses on the Coastal Region of Ecuador, with emphasis on the province of Manabí, with the aim of analysing the current situation of the profession in this area, the opinions and objections of professionals in the sector, as well as their reflections on the advances in the field over the last five years. The main objective was to analyse the professional perspectives of Social Work in the coastal region of the province of Manabí. To this end, a qualitative and descriptive methodology was employed, using an exploratory level of research complemented by participatory action research (PAR), in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the study population, composed of professionals in the sector. Initial findings revealed that many practitioners highlight that the specialisation and master's programmes have contributed to enhancing their knowledge and increasing the scientific visibility of the profession, both in practice and research. However, others point out that the curricula should place greater emphasis on professional practice in order to improve the comprehensive training of future social workers.