As implicações éticas do Cadastro Único para programas sociais do governo federal

Abstract

This study deals with the ethical implications of the Single Registry for Social Programs of the Federal Government. The Single Registry is a tool for the identification and socioeconomic characterization of the low-income families of Brazil. The data and information obtained through this tool serve as the base for the implementation of the social policies in the three spheres of government, aiming at attending to the needs of the economically most vulnerable population. The question which guides this research is about the ethical conduct of the agents involved in the process of identification, inclusion and updating of people and families in the Single Registry system, since this can impact positively or negatively on the integrity and the trustworthiness of the database. When (the process) is not handled within the necessary ethical patterns one can obtain false results in the indexes generated by the system. This occurs, for example, when there is omission of information or the insertion of untruthful information into the system. Such practices can have harmful consequences for the population, since the data base opens doors to the concession of approximately 27 social benefits which should tend exclusively to the families in the profile of the Single Registry. Based on a bibliographic research, we intend to analyze the importance of the ethical character in the whole process of collection and insertion of data into the system. The study also analyzes issues referring to poverty and to social inequality and points to the importance of the public policy of social assistance in helping overcome the various social vulnerabilities through projects, services, benefits and programs.