Contextualized Social Work Education: A Critical Understanding of the Local

Schmid, Jeanette; Morgenshtern, Marina; Turton, Yasmin

doi:10.1080/10437797.2021.1969300

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Autoethnography is especially useful in examining my journey because critical and contextualized social work demand that praxis be continuously reviewed (Mandell, 2007). A recent study on contextualized social work education suggests that in addition to institutional transformation and political prompts, it is personal encounters and lived realities that move educators towards contextualized social work education (Schmid et al, 2021). Also, the data suggests that educator authenticity and clarity around the impact of their social location is an important element in the pedagogy of contextualized social work (Schmid et al, 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study on contextualized social work education suggests that in addition to institutional transformation and political prompts, it is personal encounters and lived realities that move educators towards contextualized social work education (Schmid et al, 2021). Also, the data suggests that educator authenticity and clarity around the impact of their social location is an important element in the pedagogy of contextualized social work (Schmid et al, 2021). Thus, only with ongoing reflexivity can I understand the ways in which I contribute to or inhibit the use of contextual responses to the lived realities of individuals, groups, and communities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through this, and the anti-apartheid movement’s reframing of social conditions as mass concerns rather than as arising out of the behavior of isolated agitators or individual failures (Patel, 2016), we came to interpret family and individual trauma and the breakdown of families and communities as resulting from systemic factors. Despite such reframing, professional imperialism and the continued dominance of White perspectives (Bock, 2018) have perpetuated Western understandings of social issues, even as some social work educators recognize that imposed Eurocentric understandings of issues such as aging or parenting cannot be meaningfully transferred into their context (Schmid et al, 2020).…”

Section: Contextualization As the Local Definition Of Social Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent review of the literature on alternatives to mainstream social work emphasized the need for addressing context for effective, meaningful social work, noting that social work practice emerging from Anglophone, Western roots is not universal or neutral; social work practice cannot and should not simply be imposed on other contexts; and local conditions as well as i/Indigenous practices must be understood and honored (Schmid et al, 2020). Hence, being critically responsive to context is fundamental to meaningful social work in its interruption of professional imperialism, colonization, and associated harms.…”

Section: My Learning Over 40 Years Of Contextualizing Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A 40 year (contextualized) social work journey

Schmid

2022

Qualitative Social Work

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Employing critical autoethnography, this article conveys how over my four decades of social work, I have come to adopt a contextualized social work stance and identifies what emerge as four key areas of contextualized social work. These include attention to race, ethnicity and culture as experienced in the local environment, the local articulation of social conditions and appropriate social work responses, the activation of local knowledge generation and curation, and finally, addressing and resisting expert power. Such theorization of contextualized social work augments previous work that positions contextualized social work as countering dominant conceptualizations of social work and instead centering on a critical interrogation of the local, foregrounding local understandings of social conditions, and privileging local/(i)Indigenous knowledge production and ways of doing and being. This critical understanding of context unsettles dominant notions of context by focusing on power relationships. I hope that my story will add to the growing discussion regarding alternative modes of practice and education that counter dominant Westernized individualized social work perspectives and promote decolonized approaches.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Contextualization As the Local Definition Of Social Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: My Learning Over 40 Years Of Contextualizing Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A 40 year (contextualized) social work journey

Schmid

2022

Qualitative Social Work

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In contrast to the Western model, which often emphasizes individualism and a clinical approach, African social work education tends to focus more on community engagement, social justice, and the collective well-being of society. This is evident in the pedagogical approaches adopted in African social work education, which are often experiential, participatory, and deeply rooted in the local context (Schmid, Morgenshtern, and Turton, 2022). These methods emphasize the importance of understanding and responding to the local social, cultural, and economic environments, thereby fostering a more contextualized and relevant form of social work education.…”

Section: Introduction 1defining Social Work Education: Global Context...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Educational approaches in African social work: Implications for U.S. social work training

Ololade Elizabeth Adewusi,

Foluke Eyitayo Adediran,

Beatrice Adedayo Okunade

et al. 2024

Int. J. Sci. Res. Arch.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the methodologies in social work education, focusing on the potential integration and synergy between African and U.S. systems. Set against the backdrop of an increasingly globalized world, the study aims to bridge the gap between these two distinct educational paradigms, highlighting the rich diversity and potential for mutual learning. The scope of the paper encompasses a detailed examination of the historical evolution, pedagogical approaches, and the role of culture and tradition in social work practices within both regions. Adopting a comparative educational analysis as its methodological backbone, the study foregoes traditional fieldwork in favor of an extensive literature review and case study analysis. This approach facilitates a nuanced understanding of the differences and similarities in social work education across these diverse cultural contexts. The main findings reveal significant disparities in curriculum design, pedagogical methods, and the integration of community engagement and indigenous knowledge. African social work education, characterized by its community-centric approaches and cultural inclusivity, offers valuable insights that could enhance the U.S. framework. Conversely, the structured methodologies and technological advancements in U.S. programs present opportunities for African social work education. The study concludes with a call for a collaborative, reciprocal educational model. Recommendations include joint curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and shared research initiatives. Such collaborative efforts are essential for preparing future social workers to effectively address global challenges, fostering a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to social work education.

show abstract