Laying the west to rest: A critical self-reflection from a South African academic on centring African knowledge production

Abstract

Curricula in different South African universities reflects little of what social work in African contexts should look like. Framed by the social work principles of respect for diversity, upholding human rights and social justice, in this chapter I reflect critically using Hart (1990) and Mezirow's (1990) principles of critical reflection and question my responsibility as a socially conscious academic. I interrogate my epistemology and the power I have over shaping students' epistemologies so as to engage more thoughtfully in the process of decolonising the social work curriculum. Finally, I propose ways to relinquish power pertaining to knowledge creation, by co-creating thinking hotspots for students to begin theorising their own realities, ultimately informing an African-centred curriculum.