Trabalho voluntário e assistência em igrejas protestantes no Brasil: um estudo de caso sobre o "Sopão" da Igreja Evangélica Congregacional de Mato Alto-RJ

Abstract

This work presents a case study about volunteer works of social action related to the question of urban poverty at Brazilian Contemporary Society. The study was made both with theoric references and field research. The field research refers to a protestant group that assists people that live in streets in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, in the Guaratiba neighborhood, doing a work called "Sopão". The general Purpose of this work is to produce a reflection about the causes of religious volunteer assistencialist practices nowadays, in relation both to the insufficient public policies and to the historic context of the engagement of civil society. Therefore, the dissertation analyses the volunteer works of social action of protestant churches under two principal prospects, or two hypotheses. The first shows the volunteer work like assistentialist and philanthropic, that works like an answer to the insufficient public policies - in this case, we will appropriate of Welfare State conceptions. The second shows the volunteer work like an assistance provided by protestant religious associations that appear, in this case, like civil society associations, resultants of the movement of civil participation that grow up starting in the 90's with the new Constitution, and promoter of public policies.