An Analysis of Afrocentricity as Theory for Social Work Practice

Abstract

Afrocentricity is developing rapidly within the social work profession as a theory for practice with African Americans. Afrocentric practitioners claim the theory provides a basis for understanding African Americans from an African perspective and cultural value system, and it is the most effective approach to address racial oppression. However, social work has not critically analyzed the merits of Afrocentricity as a source of knowledge to inform the profession. This article takes the initial step to determine whether Afrocentricity is in-fact a theory. Afrocentricity is described, discussed, and analyzed based on current and accepted definitions of theory.The analysis reveals Afrocentric epistemology lacks the rigor to be accepted as an empirically-based theory for practice. The author concludes that Afrocentricity is more accurately categorized as an ideology. Research and practice implications of this conclusion and the need for further critique are discussed.

A contrapuntal epistemology for social work: An Afrocentric perspective

“…Molife Kete Asante is the founder and principal theorist of Afrocentricity (Turner, 2002: 712). Afrocentricity has over the years developed to become a framework to articulate an alternative voice for understanding African culture and eventually emerged as a theoretical perspective for social work (Graham, 2007;Pellebon, 2007;Schiele, 1997).…”

“…As in any other scholarly contributions, however, indigenisation too has attracted criticism from several authors (Pellebon, 2007; Yunong and Xiong, 2012), pointing to lack of empirical evidence and scientific rigour required for indigenous conceptualisations to qualify as valid theory, as well as arguing that it is an inherent professional requirement for social workers to appreciate different ways of knowing, implying that indigenisation is not a new phenomenon. The iniquitous criticism of indigenisation carries in itself a blindingly obvious contradiction in that it uses the self-imposed supremacy of Western paradigms to define and validate knowledge as well as to set universalised standards and norms against which any knowledge is authenticated, while ignoring significant contextual realities that produce and shape knowledge.…”

Building a Foundation for Africana Sociology: Black Sociology, Afrocentricity, and Transdisciplinary Applied Social Justice

“…As defined by Asante (Pellebon, 2007: 171), ‘Afrocentricity is a mode of thought and action in which the centrality of African interests, values, and perspectives predominate. In regards to theory, it is the placing of African people in the center of any analysis of African phenomena.’ Four pervasive goals of Afrocentricity include exposing and resisting White racial domination; redirecting African Americans toward their cultural center; converting African Americans to an ideology rooted in values, spirituality, and rituals; and analyzing traditional disciplines from an Afrocentric perspective (Pellebon, 2007: 171). He (Asante, 2006: 248) asserts that ‘Afrocentrists seek to examine the conditions for harmony and stability by analyzing social conditions, asserting rhetorical metaphors, determining human possibilities, and reorienting, if necessary, the quest for definitional and textual power’.…”

“…Asante emphasizes the ‘primacy of the classical African civilizations, namely Kemet (Egypt), Nubia, Axum, and Meroe’ (Asante, 1990: 14; Graham, 1999). Pellebon (2007: 174) asserts that Asante ‘presents Afrocentricity as a worldview, paradigm, theory, and ideology of thought and action in which the centrality of African interests, values, and perspectives predominate’. As a theoretical perspective, Afrocentricity can be seen to have three pyramidal elements: grounding, orientation, and perspective (McDougal, 2011).…”

The Asante-Based Afrocentricity Scale: Developing a Scale to Measure Asante's Afrocentricity Paradigm

“…For example, in social work, the Afrocentric paradigm is relatively recent with limited scholarship within the professional literature (Borum, 2007;Graham, 1999;Moore, 2001;Schiele, 1996). As this paradigm competes for theoretical recognition (Pellebon, 2007), it remains to be seen whether social work will considerably develop Afrocentric and African-centered practice models. Graham's (2007) assertion that African-centered approaches are marginalized may explain recent cursory inclusion of Afrocentricity in several social work practice textbooks (Devore & Schlesinger, 1996;Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2006;Miley, O'Melia, & DuBois, 2007;Poulin, 2005;Weaver, 2005;Zastrow, 2003).…”