Title

Social work in Africa: Decolonizing methodologies and approaches

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2019

Abstract

Decolonizing social work requires becoming genuine, returning to one’s cultural roots for direction. Decolonization entails resistance to social work’s ‘West to the Rest’ movement, which seeks to ‘internationalize’ and ‘standardize’ the profession. For social work to be useful in Africa, reorientation of its methods toward facilitating holistic and indigenous intervention is mandatory. This conceptual article analyzes literature on decolonization, indigenous methodology, and social work in Africa, stressing that decolonization of social work requires challenging dominant models of practice and research, while integrating traditional values and practices that have withstood centuries of oppression into culturally consonant forms of service and inquiry.

DOI

10.1177/0020872817742702

Publication Title

International Social Work

Volume Number

62

Issue Number

2

First Page

799

Last Page

813

ISSN

00208728

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