Towards an Ethic of Care: the psychologist at the CRAS and people with disability

Abstract

This article aims to analyse how the conceptions of care, dependence and interdependence, which were brought to the field of Disability Studies by feminist theorists, can contribute to the psychologists who work at the Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS) with people with disability. For this purpose, are presented excerpts from interviews with nine psychologists who work at the CRAS, in a large city in Rio Grande do Sul. The main results indicate the presence of familist logics in the social assistance policy and point to the gender roles involved in care. In conclusion, the psychologist's work in social assistance policy, when grounded on the concepts of the Ethic of Care, can contribute to the understanding of care as a matter of social justice.