De profissionais a militantes: a luta antimanicomial dos psiquiatras italianos nos anos 60 e 70

Abstract

A study concerning processes of social modifications as well as the presentday social movements of professional personnel is presented. Basically, four theories are discussed in a comparative approach: the social action theory (Talcott Parsons), the communicative and public sphere theory (Habermas), civil society theory (Arato and Cohen) and the social movement theory (Melucci). The discussion makes it possible to construct a set of analytical references on social movements of professional personnel which support the analysis of a case-work about the creation of the Italian Anti Mental Home Movement in the 60´s and 70´s; the case-work was carried out in Italy during 2000 and 2001. Finally, it is intended to travel around the hole of the professional personnel in updating and rationalizing process that result in ethical recovering and right construction besides to give an understanding of the Italian process that transformed psychologists, technicians, in militants, promoting a institutional and cultural renovation that became an international reference.