Decolonising and Reimagining Social Work in Africa: Alternative Epistemologies and Practice Models

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
List of figures
Introduction
	The dangers of a single story: an indelible need for a non-deficit story
	References
Chapter 1: Social work in Africa: History and contemporary issues
	African social work/helping
		African environmental social work
		African community social work approach to grief and bereavement
		African child adoption approach
		African care for older people: role reversal theory
		African social work with families (mediation and domestic violence)
		Religion and spirituality-sensitive social work
		African mental health and suicide prevention mechanism
	Social work education and practice challenges in Africa: empirical evidence
	Other challenges social work is facing in Africa
		Brain drain
		Absence/lack of a strong association or organisation to oversee social work education in Africa
	Critique and limitations of Western social work in the West
	Note
	References
Chapter 2: Examining approaches proposed to free social work from Western colonial dominance: Indigenisation and decolonisation
	Indigenisation
	Issues that cannot be fixed by indigenising only
	An alienating Eurocentric curriculum and narrow conceptualisation of social work
	Undisrupted colonial thinking about knowledge production and consumption
		Colonial agenda and approach to education
	Decolonising approach to learning and teaching in action: an example
		Centring community beyond individualistic/selfish-pursuits and theoretical learnings
		Students as teachers
		Teaching the indelible need to decolonise
		Disrupting ‘othering’ of non-Western knowledges and constructions of social work
	Decolonising self and mind: processes
	Questioning
	Remembering and or rediscovery
	Unlearning and re-learning to revalue
	Re-imagination, sharing, and action
	Summary: a Decolonising-First theory-practice
		In social work education
		In social work practice and research
	References
Chapter 3: African cultural traditions and decolonising research
	Need for decolonising research
	Words of caution on empiricism
	Principles of Indigenous African research framework and design
	Research for the benefit of the community
	Recognising the importance of Indigenous or local languages of the communities
	Recognising the importance of local and community structures
	Respect processes of ethics of Indigenous Africans rooted in African philosophies
	Indigenous African oral storytelling methodology
	Indigenous African research methods
		Conversation method ( Okuganira)
		Group conversation method
		Learning-by-observation research method
	Decolonising research ethics: ethics and values of working with Indigenous Africans in research
		Informed consent and ethics review boards
			Case resolution
			Lessons learnt
		Confidentiality and use of pseudonyms
		Alternative Ubuntu/Obuntu ethics
			Humility and mutual respect
			Valuing and building of genuine long-lasting relationships
			Cultural value of hospitality and gift sharing
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: Decolonising social work practice: Indigenous community models, their principles, and applicability
	Mutual helping model
		Mutual helping during grief and loss
		Mutual helping through clans
		Mutual helping based on common interest or age
		Mutual helping model in diaspora
		Community-led vs NGO-led or government mutual helping groups
	The role of a social worker in applying a community-led mutual helping model
	Burungi Bwansi model of Indigenous community development
		A case study utilising the Burungi Bwansi model in social work and community development
	Application of Indigenous models of helping in social work: guiding principles
		Social workers working alongside and in collaboration with the community
		Validating and valuing local resources, wisdom, and knowledge
		Adopting Indigenous philosophies and concepts and names
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Decolonising values and ethics of social work: Conceptualising Obuntu - led social work values and ethics
	Introduction
	Valuing hospitality, connection, and reframing professional boundaries
	Termination of relationships vs making meaningful and long-lasting relationships
	Valuing social worker expression of feelings and emotions and lived experiences
	Valuing the mother tongue in social work practice
	Valuing community accountability ( Baragira ngwenki /What will people say?)
	Valuing spiritual interconnectedness
	Valuing interconnectedness with the environment
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 6: Decolonising social policy
	Colonisation in social policy
	Neo-colonialism in social policy: evidence from Uganda
		Impact of top-to-down colonial policies on senior bureaucrats
		Impact of top-to-down colonial policies on community workers and communities
		Neo-colonial hierarchy of policy and program making
	Decolonising social policy: some alternative ideas
	Decolonising by implementing a Obuntu/Ubuntu consensus decision-making model
	Decolonising through a ligning social policies with local philosophies
	Decolonising by centring community-led definitions in policy
	Decolonising policy as conditionality and responsibility of donors and international partners
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 7: Orature (proverbs and stories): Decolonising epistemologies
	Introducing orature
	Scholar’s successful practical use of orature in different fields and contexts in Africa and the diaspora
	Potential use of orature in a social work classroom and or practice
		Moral lesson of the story and social work
	Using orature: a reflection from my social work classroom in Australia
	Proverbs and their application in different social work fields
		Community work and development
			Use of these proverbs in community work
		Social work with children and youth
			Use of these proverbs in social work with children and youth
		Health social work
			Use of these proverbs in health social work
		Community and social action
			Use of these proverbs in social and community action
		Social work with people with disabilities
			Use of proverb
	Critical thinking and reflection in social work
		Use of proverb
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 8: Furthering the decolonisation project
	Recapping the decolonising agenda
	Dismantling ideology of the colonised and colonial privilege of colonisers
	Decolonising in the West: addressing extraversion
	Low hanging fruit : students’ research in higher education institutions in Africa and the West
	Refrain from single storied, self-deprecating, self-hatred and sabotage education, scholarship, research, etc
	References
Index