<p>This research was aimed at investigating the current state of knowledge of social participation and empowerment in vulnerable social contexts. Method: scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute. Guiding question: Do participative processes contribute to empowerment and promotion of citizenship in vulnerable communities? Fourteen national and international articles published between 2001 and 2019 were analyzed, and the results present the main characteristics of these studies. The discussion explains the complexity in articulating participation and empowerment due to the need for dialogue between different approaches, but also indicates its potential as it values the different historical-social contexts and the quality of the bonds between subjects, groups and communities, having the strengthening of rights and the citizenship as horizons.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>