Extensão universitária e serviço social nas universidades estaduais paranaenses: formação profissional na relação com a sociedade

Abstract

This dissertation examines Brazilian higher education, with a focus on public state universities in the state of Paraná, seeking to understand the effects of the commodification of education on the social role of the university. It is based on the understanding of education as a historical and social process that can either foster human emancipation or reproduce forms of domination present in capitalist society. The research reflects on how neoliberal policies and market logic have been interfering with the autonomy of public institutions and the formative purpose of higher education. The analysis encompasses the ontological dimension of education, its insertion into the sociability of capital, and the relationship between education and power, while also recovering historical aspects of higher education in Brazil and the reality of universities in Paraná. The study highlights university outreach as a privileged space for integrating teaching, research, and society, emphasizing its relevance to strengthening the social commitment of universities. Furthermore, the relationship between Social Work and outreach practices is explored, considering its theoretical-methodological, technical-operative, and ethical-political foundations. The results indicate that university outreach represents a field of resistance against the commodification of education, contributing to the critical training of students, the recognition of teaching staff, and the democratization of knowledge. The study concludes that strengthening university outreach is essential to reaffirming the public university as an agent of social transformation and the promotion of human emancipation.