50 Years of Social Action of the Lisbon Mercy: Contributions to Its History

Research work that portrays the trajectory and characterization of the social action activity developed by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, from 1958 to the present day. According to Gabriela Colen, “modern social action only takes shape from the 1960s, when the State begins to legislate and regulate social benefits and establishes a global system of public assistance, supplementary to the still incipient social security.” The author follows the creation of the Social Service as the organic structure of the secular institution in 1958, analyzing the evolution of social action over the 50 years that followed, always framing this activity within the historical, political, and social contexts of this half-century. This detailed narrative is structured into five major periods: the beginning of social action at Santa Casa – between 1958 and April 1974 –, social action in the post-25th of April – a phase that extends until 1979 –, the reestablishment of this activity – a period that the author situates from 1980 to 1991 –, social action and policies to combat exclusion between 1992 and 2001, and finally, social action in the pursuit of quality, a period that begins in 2002. A valuable contribution to the understanding of the history of social action of the Misericórdia de Lisboa.

Authors: Maria Gabriela F. Guterres Barbosa Colen

Publisher: SCML
Year of publication: 2009
ISBN: 9789728761462