Banca de DEFESA: ANA CAROLINA DA COSTA HONORIO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANA CAROLINA DA COSTA HONORIO
DATE: 25/08/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Auditório 1 - NEPSA 2 - CCSA
TITLE:

 

MUCH MORE THAN EXCHANGING SYRINGES: HARM REDUCTION IN PUBLIC POLICIES FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION

KEY WORDS:

Homeless population; Psychoative substances; Harm reduction; Public policies.

PAGES: 115
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Serviço Social
SUMMARY:

The present research analyzes public drug policies and the harm reduction strategy for people experiencing homelessness who use psychoactive substances, approaching the theme through the contradictions imposed by capitalist sociability and by the role of the State and social policies. This analysis also considers the socio-historical aspects of the use of psychoactive substances and the harm reduction strategy, which is understood as a perspective aligned with the principles of ethics, the defense of human rights, and care in freedom—core values of the collective health paradigm and the anti-asylum movement, which guide the development of this project. Accordingly, the general objective is to analyze the harm reduction strategy within public policies for people experiencing homelessness who face problems related to the use of psychoactive substances in the city of Natal/RN. To achieve this, the following specific objectives were established: 1) To identify the social and historical foundations for the existence of the homeless population and its particularities in the city of Natal/RN; 2) To investigate the impact of the prohibitionist perspective on the development and implementation of policies aimed at users of psychoactive substances; 3) To analyze the intersectoral actions of public policies, problematizing harm reduction trends in their social, economic, and health dimensions when accessing social rights. The methodological approach consisted of conducting a mixed-methods study, combining quantitative and qualitative aspects through bibliographic and documentary research. To this end, content analysis was employed to interpret information found in studies and surveys on the homeless population and on drug use, as well as in normative instruments related to the theme.Guided by a broadened perspective of health, the research identifies the effects of social determinants on the potential harms caused by the use of psychoactive substances, understanding them as expressions of the structural inequalities that affect the homeless population. In this sense, the concept of harm reduction is expanded beyond health-based interventions, being articulated with a critique of the prohibitionist model and the punitive logic that disproportionately impacts Black and impoverished individuals. The theoretical-methodological perspective that informs the study is based on critical social theory, specifically historical-dialectical materialism. Thus, the research seeks to contribute to public policy interventions and initiatives by social workers and society as a whole directed at the homeless population.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 1714329 - ANDREA LIMA DA SILVA
Externa à Instituição - BÁRBARA DA ROCHA FIGUEIREDO CHAGAS - UEPB
Presidente - 1451156 - CARLA MONTEFUSCO DE OLIVEIRA
Interna - 1149518 - SILVANA MARA DE MORAIS DOS SANTOS