Ethical Challenges of Service Learning in Social Work: A Systematization of Experiences in Contexts of Social Vulnerability

Abstract

Higher education in Chile faces the challenge of training professionals who not only possess solid technical and disciplinary skills, but also develop an ethical, critical, and social commitment capable of responding to the country's structural inequalities. In this context, Service-Learning (S+L) is presented as an innovative methodology that articulates academic objectives with community needs, promoting values such as solidarity, social justice, and civic responsibility. Its implementation in Chilean universities, including the Autonomous University of Chile, allows for the linking of theory and practice, strengthening disciplinary, cross-cutting, and ethical skills, although risks of welfare practices or the instrumentalization of communities persist.

The objective of this research was to systematize the S+L experience in the Social Work program at the Autonomous University of Chile, Santiago campus, evaluating its contribution to the ethical training of students in contexts of high social vulnerability. The results showed benefits for both the users of social programs and the students. Families improved their financial, human, and social assets, increasing their autonomy, resilience, and support networks, while students developed technical skills and ethical reflection, learning to intervene in a horizontal and respectful manner. Even considering limitations of time, scope, and evaluation, the experience showed the transformative potential of S+L as a pedagogical strategy capable of articulating academic training and social commitment.