From historical prejudice to digital illiteracy: limiting access to social security benefits: the specific case of the special insured

Abstract

This article intends to expose considerations about the historical prejudice faced by special insured people in Social Security and its intergenerational consequences, analyzing, therefore, whether digital illiteracy can be a limiting factor in access to social security benefits. It is based on the hypothesis that the historical context affects the participation of these policyholders in society, especially in the interaction with new technologies. Initially, a general overview of the computerization of systems in Brazil will be made, through the verification of data obtained in research, as well as by studying the evolution of digital tools in the social security sphere. In continuity, the figure of the special insured and its importance will be studied, analyzing the historical context of the inclusion of rural workers in Social Security. Finally, it will be analyzed how the special insured has, in digital tools, factors preventing access to social security benefits, through the exposure of reflections on the historical and current prejudice that the category faces. This article was prepared through a qualitative study, which resulted in the conclusion that, although the figure of the special insured is crucial for the maintenance of society, it is undeniable the existence of a historical prejudice that has negative impacts on how category, today, survives and adapts in society, especially in the ability to use technologies, which end up limiting access to their rights, due to the digital exclusion that is observed today, which is only a small visible part of a problem larger and more complex that involves prejudice and historical distortions.