Decolonising Social Work

Question 1

Critical awareness of culture in social work

Answer 1

Prevents making assumptions and imposing concepts, practices and values where they do not fit.

Question 2

AASW Code of Ethics: Responsibility 5.1.2:

…bias
…consulting/education

Answer 2

Acknowledge the significant culture in their practice, and recognising the impact of their own ethnic and cultural identities/biases.
Obtain a working knowledge and understanding of client’s cultural affiliations (potential use of cultural consultants).

Question 3

Multiculturalism vs. Universalisation approaches to social work

Answer 3

Multiculturalism: ability to engage with specific populations effectively (better understanding of problems and values).

Universalisation: can aid in maintaining the quality of service delivery via consistent standards and procedures.

Question 4

Problems with Western Social Work (3):

Answer 4

• Individualist approach can conflict with communalist values of some populations. Especially in the way child protection is dealt with in Indigenous communities (creates distrust).
• To some, family can be non-relational (problems with admin).
• Western social work is imposed around the world through globalisation.

Question 5

Globalisation and Western Social Work (2):

Answer 5

• Western social work is effective in western contexts. However, when it is implicated in less individualist contexts, it fails to properly engage with issues (and vice versa).
• Values from other cultures can still be useful when creating localised social work (help engaging with foreigners, or use of unique approaches).