The place of indigenous knowledge in environmental social work in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Environmentalism has gained momentum in social work. Practitioners and educators now acknowledge that leaving out environmental issues in their teaching curriculum and practice short charges their clients. This paper brings to the fore the element of indigenous knowledge in environmental social work practice. It explores how traditional beliefs and practices, Ubuntu philosophy, and mythology help in the preservation of the environment and adapting to climate change. The paper takes an Afrocentric approach by arguing that if reconsidered, indigenous knowledge systems have the potential to promote environmental preservation. Social workers have come to the acknowledgment that it is critical for the person-in-environment to include the natural environment. They advocate for change and aspects of social justice including environmental issues. The robustness of social work, positions the helping profession as a natural connection to the environment, ecological preservation, and humanity. International bodies like the International Federation of Social Workers emphasize the need for social work interventions to be underpinned by theories that factor use of indigenous knowledge. Environmental social work is one of the emerging fields of social work education and practice that address developmental interventions. In this paper, the authors use their experiences as social work educators and practitioners on the place of the Indigenous knowledge in environmental social work in Zimbabwe.
 How to reference using ASWNet style:
 Mukurazhizha R., Muridzo N., Sunungurayi Charamba S. & Simbine S. (2023). The place of indigenous knowledge in environmental social work in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Social Work, 13(2), 110-117. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i2.7
 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

The Natural Environment in Social Work Curriculum: A Narrative Reflection of Teaching-Learning through a Sustainability Course Design and Delivery

“…This explains why Zapf's (2008) two frameworks' evolution about the person and environment's relationship resonates with me in both the teaching and improvement of the course design regarding sustainability. In the section about the theoretical framework of this paper, I will elaborate on these two frameworks that are grounded on Indigenous Peoples' knowledge (Mukurazhizha et al, 2023). The interconnectedness model encourages ecological transformation (Figure 2).…”