Hokenstad International Lecture

1. Hokenstad International Lecture

2. SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

3. Training and Practice in Developmental States: A Tool for Strengthening Democracy and Quality of Life Professor F.N.M. Mazibuko Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of College: Humanities – University of KwaZul-Natal

4. INTRODUCTION • Role of Social Work practice – post-colonial & post-independence periods in Africa • Persistence of marginalisation & utilisation of social work • Tool or empowerment & disempowerment • Critical responsiveness in education and training of social workers

5. INTRODUCTION CONTINUED • Importance of social work training in developing states of Africa • Contextually relevant social work • Critical issues of the changing roles and genre of social work • Training of social work professionals in Africa with reference to the past, present and future

6. The Legacy of Colonial Social Work Education in Africa Practice and Education addressing historic social exclusions (Sheppard 2006) Social workers as advocates for social inclusion and social justice Previous colonial powers still playing a dominant role in social work Persistence of colonial traditions in the training of social workers

7. Legacy of Colonial…/Continued Focus on Rehabilitative & Palliative interventions African countries are not emphasising the developmental approach Developmental approach empowers people Paradigm shift from remedial – which is a bias towards casework Developmental approach in SA

8. Legacy of Colonialism…/Continued Lack of clarity in SA on the compatibility of social work and the developmental approach (Bak 2004) Traditional welfare approach failed to empower the social worker Social work training was previously geared towards solving traditional problems Social workers became ill equipped in African context

9. Legacy of Colonialism…/Continued Social work education in Africa fails to cope with the conditions of the African poor (Mmtli 2008) Social workers are excluded from broader social policy formulation Inadequate training in political processes Trained to treating symptoms – not causes Students need skills to engage in political Processes

10. Legacy of Colonialism…/Continued Re-evaluation of social work curricular must be considered Modules such as History, Economics, Political science, Cultural studies, African philosophy & ethics Training should do away with overemphasising the psychodynamic model of social work practice Focus should be on collective responsibility (Taylor 1999)

11. Legacy of Colonialism…/Continued Social work must reflect on pedagogy critically Incorporate continental declarations, education and social welfare Social work policies have always reflected the differences that reflect the influence of the colonising country (Asamoah 1994)

12. Legacy Colonialism…/Continued Social work must be context specific Must also take into account universal values Universal values must find local expression Accepting universal values is does not mean abandonment of cultural specific values Exchange of knowledge and experiences from different cultural settings enriches the profession

13. Social Work Approaches Social work concepts in Sub-Saharan Africa were borrowed from former colonial powers There are three levels of where external influence of SSA’s social work theory is rooted: 1. Conceptual level 2. Policy Level 3. Practical level

14. 1. Conceptual level Influence of Western culture and worldview The former colonial masters influenced current social work principles (Bailey 2004) The residual approach has been that of blaming the individual’s weaknesses Residual approach is based on the idea that the individual should meet her needs in the family via the market as ‘natural institutions (Wilensky & Lebeaux 1965)

15. Conceptual level…/Continued The state is seen to play a secondary role when ‘natural institutions’ fail Social welfare becomes a second line of defense against social risks Individuals are expected to meet their own needs Failure to meet one’s needs is seen as moral failure – deficit model

16. Conceptual level…/Continued Second aspect of residual model is that they complement each other with the remedial model Remedial model sees the family and market failure as temporary & transitory (Wilensky & Leabeaux) Interventions are meant to cure the effects of market and family failures Social work here serves remedial ends

17. Conceptual level… Social welfare policy in post World War II did little to address the residual and deficit approaches Remedial casework is untenable in rural areas where population is scattered and communalism is dominant rather than individualism Post-colonial African governments do fail to appraise social policy to contextual realities

18. 2. Policy Level SSA social policy is influenced by the dominant development paradigm from developed countries In colonial times, governments did not pay attention to the needs of indigenous people (Bailey 2004) Social policy was influenced by the modernisation paradigm of development

19. Policy Level… Assumption of modernisation paradigm – less developed countries were going through an evolutionary development process as experienced by developed countries Developing countries are required to break with their traditions as ‘Europe did’ (Rostow 1960) Modernisation of the means of production created the condition for economy ‘take off’

20. Policy Level… Modernisation helps the economy to take off when traditional ways give way to modern ways Modernisation theory resulted in economic policy being given priority over social policy Belief being that a growing economy promotes improvements in social development Social development was a natural offshoot of economic growth

21. Policy Level… African countries preferred a people centered approach to development Social development is understood as a way of addressing past imbalances Social development formed part of general development policy 1980s & 1990s saw the introduction of SAPs Growing economy will help social welfare

22. Policy Level… Policy making processes got hijaked by IFIs IFIS agenda was to promote economic growth by sacrificing welfare Social work became peripheral in addressing economic failure

23. 3. Practical Level Practice of social work has remained within the traditional Western model A top-down approach to social work The poor are not offered the opportunity to help themselves Heavy reliance on psychology and psychiatry Interventions restricted to individual or local groups

24. Practical Level… Little attention is paid on macro level policy and structural issues Political, social and cultural dimensions should be part of the solution ‘Expert’ or professional approach can create a distance between the practitioner and client This can create a situation of distrust (Rwomire & Raditlhokwa 1996)

25. Practical Level… Traditional clinical, therapeutical, residential and custodial approaches are not relevant to the African context In a context of few resources, such approaches remain inadequate (Laird 2004, Daniels 2001, Anderson et al 1194)

26. Devising Pertinent Interventions Social policy actors in Africa should come up with interventions to the African context Starting point is to understand the local conditions of social development Knowledge of conditions and mindsets should form basis for conceptualisation and implementation Most African states have limited capacity to formulate and implement policies

27. Devising Pertinent Interventions.. Local communities & civil society can be important partners Community intellectual capital and theories can lead to better understanding of local conditions Realisation that economic progress cannot be achieved in isolation from social development Social development is important to economic growth

28. Radicalisation of Social Work Re-examination of current forms of social work education practices Radicalisation and indigenisation Radicalisation – come from experience that social work has not been effective in tackling current challenges Proponents argue that Africa’s problems are structural by nature, hence a radical approach is needed

29. Indigenisation/Authentication Both terms mean contextualisation A view dominant in developing countries Social work must be based on local traditions Social work should be contextualised Contextualisation Vs internationalisation of knowledge The two should not be seen in opposition

30. Rethinking Social work Education in Africa Rethinking concepts, methods and objectives Much of social work practice borrowed from Anglo-American traditions Conditions in SSA should be the primary focus Social work should pay attention to regional cultural realities The African cosmology – reciprocity, collective life, traditional institutions etc

31. Rethinking Social Work Education in Africa… Incorporating the emerging social development model Development model identifies individual strengths in a given context (Laird 2006) In SSA developmental approach focuses on providing the poor with “exist strategy” (DSD 2005) Social work should take the form of developmental social work

32. Conclusion SSA faces huge social developmental challenges Highest number of people living in poverty Highest levels of poverty Social protection is very low Social work in SSA needs to reconstruct itself if it is to be responsive to these challenges and effect its purpose.

33. Conclusion • Higher Education White Paper (3) • NGO sector collaborations • Pedagogy & philosophy • Curricula: merged, incorporations & not merged IHEs • Training Social Workers, Auxillary Workers • Retention & “Brain Rotation” • Training generalists & specialists social workers within 5 national niche areas

34. CONCLUSION • Question of relevance of social work in a rapidly changing world. Yes, social work education and practice is relevant in Africa. • Social work educators and practitioners take initiative to make the profession visible, assume its identity and locus of responsibility • Assertiveness& organisation.

35. CONCLUSION • Remains an ESSENTIAL, CENTRAL & APPROPRIATE profession in CD Agenda. • Social Work educators and practitioners:primary drivers and monitors of appropriateness of training, quality and relevance and reviews of curricula.

36. CONCLUSION • It is my view that Schools of Social Work should continually asked themselves “What kind of educator and graduate do they produce OR want to?” • Other types cadres, skills for SD ? • Who must train & quality assure? • The causes & reinforcers of poverty must be an integral part of the social work curricula [socio-eco-political, policy analysis &critique].

37. Hokenstad International Lecture