The “Social Physiotherapist”: A Critical and Historical Perspective on Professional Identity

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Amendoeira_Peixoto

ABSTRACT

This article addresses the concept of the “Social Physiotherapist” and “Social Physiotherapy” (SP) as a strategic imperative for redefining professional identity, grounded in the legacy of Social Medicine, the philosophy of Michel Foucault, and the currents of critical physiotherapy. It is argued that SP establishes the “Social Physiotherapist”, equipped with knowledge in disciplines such as history, philosophy, and sociology – as an active social agent capable of generating economic value and promoting accessibility, ergonomics, and social inclusion through intervention in Public Health, urban planning, and strategic alliances with technology. The analysis employs Michel Foucault’s perspective to demonstrate that the profession’s power and authority are sustained not by its fragmentation, but by collective discipline, the rigor of scientific knowledge, and objective measurement. The crisis of physiotherapy’s autonomy is framed as a consequence of the historical devaluation of its role in public health. SP is not merely an addition of content but an identity and curricular reorganization that demands a profound epistemological reform in pedagogy (prioritizing the history, philosophy, and sociology of science). The professional must evolve into a social architect of the 21st century, using science, discipline, and political consciousness to ensure that the expansion of physiotherapy is achieved through the unity of knowledge, rather than the appropriation of territories, thus cementing its power in the public sphere.

KEYWORDS

“Social Physiotherapist”, Social Physiotherapy, Social Medicine, Michel Foucault, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Autonomy.

READ FULL TEXT

Peixoto, J. A. (2025). The “Social Physiotherapist”: A critical and historical perspective on professional identity [Preprint]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17693409

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