Using critical reflection to question self and power in international development

Strumm, Brianna

doi:10.1080/13552074.2020.1717173

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Furthermore, by formally adopting a critically self‐reflective approach to future decision‐making, the SFI team can focus attention on power dynamics and positionality among staff members, allowing for more equitable decision‐making in the future. By mindfully valuing their colleagues' diverse perspectives, personal lenses, and past experiences, the SFI team can create space for achieving stronger relationships (and thus, collective decision‐making) rooted in trust (Strumm, 2020 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development from a distance: Exploring an international non‐profit's interactions with communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Peiffer

Harte

2022

J of Intl Development

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A case study analysis of an international development non‐profit identifies strategies and decision‐making processes utilized to engage community members in person and virtually during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The strategies employed led to a continuation of projects in the field, potentially excluding some stakeholder groups from decision‐making processes at the community level. Staff members described how power dynamics and geographic distance affected internal decision‐making for community involvement, highlighting the importance of adopting a critical self‐reflection approach to facilitate communication among an intercultural team for more equitable community engagement.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development from a distance: Exploring an international non‐profit's interactions with communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Peiffer

Harte

2022

J of Intl Development

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“…However, the literature identifies various ways in which social workers engage in international issues (Healy and Thomas, 2020): they deal with domestic issues with an international dimension (for example, working with refugees); they engage in international exchange of knowledge; they are involved in advocacy and debates at the global level; and they contribute to international development in development aid organisations. The latter area has been a crucial aspect of international social work since the origin of the concept (Strumm, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decentralised international development aid from municipalities: Exploring its added value, challenges and implications for international social work

Belda‐Miquel

Talón-Villacañas

2023

International Social Work

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This study focuses on international development aid policies implemented by municipalities. By proposing a theoretical framework and addressing the Spanish context, it first explores the added value and the challenges involved with this kind of decentralised aid. Second, it discusses the implications in terms of the competencies required by social workers in order to leverage the potential of these aid policies. The research draws on the qualitative analysis of documents, interviews and discussion groups. It concludes that international social workers need knowledge, values and skills in widely different aspects in order to overcome the challenges entailed in aid from municipalities.

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“…Typically, these agendas are depicted as a matter of technical, human and financial transfers to lower-income countries, and donors, large and small, often imagine themselves as charitable givers, offering altruistic support to vulnerable populations living in conditions of poverty. Because these histories of colonialism are largely ignored in the Global North, development workers are often unable to see this history and rely instead on stories of political corruption, local conflicts and a lack of expertise to explain the social and economic inequality in the Global South (Strumm, 2020). improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth -all while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).…”

Section: International Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Northern Social Workers’ Experiences with Reflective Practice: Analyzing Power in International Development Work

Strumm¹

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Colonial histories, processes and experiences created conditions of inequality that continue to exist between the Global North and South and established a power dynamic that plagues international development work. Social workers who work in the international development sector are implicated in reproducing these unequal power relations through the operation and facilitation of this work. As such, they have been criticized for imposing their influence and knowledge in Southern contexts, while at the same time failing to critique the effects of Northern imposition on individuals and communities. Drawing on anti-oppressive social work practice, this project explores whether social workers' engagement with reflective practices impacts their understanding of their own positioning, power, practice strategies and negotiation with their managerial workplaces.Data was collected with the use of semi-structured interviews with Northern-trained social workers who work (or recently worked) for governments, international aid organizations, or as consultants across the Global South in the Middle East, Caribbean, Oceania, East Asia, Europe, and Africa. Participants revealed that powerful neoliberal ideas in the workplace and location-specific challenges constrained reflective practice activity.This research provides important insight and understanding into how Northern social workers working in the Global South grapple with their roles, responsibilities, identities, and positions. This study contributes research on the different possibilities for reflective practice within an anti-oppressive international social work practice framework and within international development work. These possibilities include a critical analysis of power as well as how such practices narrowed the gap between critical analysis of power and workers' practice orientation.iii Chapter One: Introduction to the ResearchThis chapter offers an overview, background and context for the research that was completed over the course of my PhD. It introduces readers to important concepts found throughout the research project and the research purpose and questions. Chapter Two: Literature ReviewThe literature review focuses on core areas of research relevant to this project-reflective practice and international development workers. This is a review of these topics as they relate to my research.

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Using critical reflection to question self and power in international development

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Development from a distance: Exploring an international non‐profit's interactions with communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Development from a distance: Exploring an international non‐profit's interactions with communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Decentralised international development aid from municipalities: Exploring its added value, challenges and implications for international social work

Northern Social Workers’ Experiences with Reflective Practice: Analyzing Power in International Development Work

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