ABSTRACT

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. 

part 1|94 pages

Approaches to Diversifying, Decolonising, and Developing Culturally Relevant Social Work Education

chapter 2|11 pages

The Informality Paradigm in Social Work Practice in Africa

Philosophy, Continuity, and Prospects for Integration into Professional Practice

part 2|124 pages

Social Work Education

chapter 10|12 pages

Social Work Education

Opportunities and Challenges in Tanzania, East Africa

chapter 12|11 pages

Insurmountable Barriers to Social Work Education

Experiences of Online Learning from Rural South Africa

chapter 14|13 pages

Cyber Counselling Competencies

Implications for Curriculum Development and Training of Social Work Practitioners

chapter 15|11 pages

The Coming of Age of Social Work Education in Zimbabwe

Towards Reinforcing the Developmental Social Work Agenda

chapter 16|11 pages

Social Work Education and Training in Francophone Africa

The Case of Cameroon

chapter 18|12 pages

Culture and Ethnicity in Medical Social Work

Lessons for Future Directions for Social Work Curriculum Transformation in Kenya

part 3|94 pages

Embedding Field Practicum into Social Work Education

chapter 19|11 pages

Social Work Field Practicum

Experiences, Challenges, and Perspectives from Malawi

chapter 22|10 pages

The Importance and Challenges of Social Work Field Education

The University of Benin Experience

chapter 23|12 pages

Field Practicum in Social Work Education

The Ethiopian Experience

chapter 25|11 pages

Rethinking Social Work Education in South Africa amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Suggestions for Innovative Fieldwork Practice

part 4|72 pages

Knowledge Exchange between the Global South and the Global North