1st Edition
Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education
This timely Routledge Handbook creates a much-needed space to explore what makes social work uniquely African, as well as shaping, informing, and influencing a new culturally relevant era of social work. The specific focus on social work education offers approaches to transition away from the hegemony of Western literature, knowledge, and practice models underpinning African social work education. The authors identify what is relevant and meaningful to inform, influence, and reconceptualise culturally relevant social work curriculum.
Covering Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the Handbook comprises both empirical and conceptual chapters, multiple approaches, case studies, and key debates on social work education. It is structured in four parts:
• Approaches to Indigenising, Decolonising and Developing Culturally Relevant Social Work Education
• Social Work Education: Evolution across Contexts
• Embedding Field Practicum into Social Work Education
• Knowledge Exchange between the Global South and Global North.
The range of indigenous, local knowledge that the Handbook presents is crucial to social work evolving and facilitating for reciprocal learning and knowledge exchange between the Global South and Global North. Whilst the context of the Handbook is Africa, the topics covered are relevant to a global audience engaged in social justice work across social work, social welfare, social development, and sustainability.
Foreword by Mel Gray
Introduction
Susan Levy, Uzoma Odera Okoye, Pius T. Tanga, and Richard Ingram
Part 1: Approaches to Diversifying, Decolonising and Developing Culturally Relevant Social Work Education
1. Complexities Involved in Establishing a Culturally Relevant Social Work Curriculum in Nigeria
Mel Gray, Susan Levy, Uzoma Odera Okoye, and Solomon Amadasun
2. The Informality Paradigm in Social Work Practice in Africa: Philosophy, Continuity, and Prospects for Integration into Professional Practice
Venesio B. Bhangyi, Milliam Kiconco, and Wing H. Chui
3. Exploring the Potential of an Ecosocial Approach for African Social Work Education
James K. Obeng and Michael E. Tadesse
4. African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Theories in Teaching Social Work
Mmaphuti M. Mamaleka
5. Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education
Thembelihle B. Makhanya and Susan Levy
6. Faith and Spiritualty in Social Work Education and Practice in Ethiopia
Ashenafi Hagos Baynesagn, Tasse Abye, and Emebet Mulugeta
7. Faith and Spirituality in Social Work Education and Practice in Nigeria
Oghenechoja Dennis Veta
8. Social Work and Pastural Counselling in South Africa: Inter-Sectoral Partnership
Selelo Frank Rapholo and Zibonele France Zimba
Part 2: Social Work Education: Evolution across Contexts
9. Exploring the Challenges of Child Protection in Nigeria
Abiodun B. Osaiyuwu
10. Social Work Education: Opportunities and Challenges in Tanzania, East Africa
Johnas A. Buhori
11. Advancing Social Work Education Using Online Learning in South Africa: Challenges and Prospects
Ntandoyenkosi Maphosa and Mziwandile Sobantu
12. Insurmountable Barriers to Social Work Education: Experiences of Online Learning from Rural South Africa
Eleanor A. Hendricks and Richard Ingram
13. Social Worker Role-Taking during Communicable Disease Outbreaks in South Africa: The Need for Disaster Management Training
Christo Heunis, Martha M. Joubert, and Alice Ncube
14. Counselling Competencies: Implications for Curriculum Development for Training of Social Work Practitioners
Cecilia Tutu-Danquah and Lawrence Murphy
15. The Coming of Age of Social Work Education in Zimbabwe: Towards Reinforcing the Developmental Social Work Agenda
Tatenda Goodman Nhapi
16. Social Work Education and Training in Francophone Africa: The Case of Cameroon
Pius T. Tanga and Gabriel A. Ekobi
17. A Case Study of the Emerging Social Work Sector in Guinea, West Africa
Marissa Kaloga and Abdul Karim Camara
18. Culture and Ethnicity in Medical Social Work: Lessons for Future Directions for Social Work Curriculum Transformation in Kenya
Wilkins N. Muhingi, Ajwang Warria, and Edwine J. Otieno
Part 3: Embedding Field Practicum into Social Work Education
19. Social Work Field Practicum: Experiences, Challenges, and Perspectives from Malawi
Agnes G. Wizi-Kambala
20. Dearth of Standard Social Work Agencies for Field Practicum: Barrier to Social Work Pedagogy in Nigeria
Chiyere Onalu, Chinwe Nnama-Okechukwu, Patricia Agbawodikeizu, and Ngozi Chukwu
21. Situational Analysis of Social Work Field Practice in Tanzania Mainland
Meinrad H. Lembuka
22. The Importance and Challenges of Social Work Education Field Education: The University of Benin Experience
Tracy B. E. Omorogiuwa
23. Field Practicum in Social Work Education: The Ethiopian Experience
Demelash Kassaye
24. Family Genogram as an Experiential Method to Enhance Training in Social Work Practice in Botswana
Tumani Malinga
25. Rethinking Social Work Education in South Africa amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic: Suggestions for Innovative Fieldwork Practice
Thabisa Matsea
26. Being a Student Social Worker During Academic Disruptions in South Africa: What Do We Need to Prepare for Practice?
Marichen van der Westhuizen, Ronel Davids, and Violet Adonis
Part 4: Knowledge Exchange between the Global South and Global North
27. Prioritising Indigenous Knowledge in Social Work Education through Experiential Learning: Narratives from Social Workers
Rita A. Parry, Elizabeth O. George, and Catherine S. Kayonga
28. An International University Partnership to Support the Social Service Workforce and Strengthen the Child Protection System in Ghana
Bree Akeeson and Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy
29. Sources of Knowledge Transfer between the Global South and the Global North in Social Work Education
Peninah Kansiime, Sharlotte Tusasiirwe, and Diana Nabbumba
30. Social Work Education and Black African Diaspora: Explorations in the Republic of Ireland
Washington Marovatsanga and Paul M. Garrett
31. Social Work Education and Practice Education, Decolonisation and Ubuntu: Making Connections in Malawi
Janet Walker, Simon Cauvain, Felix Kakowa, and Anstance Fometu
32. Challenges and Prospects for Integrating Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) into Social Work Education Across Cultures
Abigail A. Mills, Doris A. Boateng, Sevaughn Banks, and Felicia Tuggle
Biography
Susan Levy is Associate Dean International and Senior Lecturer in Social Work, in the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee, UK.
Uzoma Odera Okoye is a Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Pius T. Tanga is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa.
Richard Ingram is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Dundee, UK.
“The Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education is a long-awaited book that adds significantly to the knowledge base of international social work. Most significantly, it is an important milestone on the long road to decolonising social work education, research and practice worldwide. It contains in-depth, contextualised case studies, research findings and experience-based contributions from various African countries.”
Tanja Kleibl, Technical University Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), Germany
“This book provides an in-depth exploration of social work education and fields of practice, with practical examples from diverse contexts across Africa. The book is not only relevant for social work educators, practitioners, students, and social policy makers, but also all those interested in decolonial perspectives in social work and social development.”
Janestic Mwende Twikirize, Makerere University, Uganda
