Doctoral Degrees (Social Work)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/670

Browse

Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Social Work) by Subject "Blacks -- Counseling of -- South Africa"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Social casework : an afrocentric perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-03) Thabede, Dumisani Gaylord; Green, S.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Of the three primary methods of intervention in social work - casework, group work and community work - the focus of this study is on social casework. Every country structures its own model of casework practice and this model is determined by the social conditions and the diversity of ethnic groups and their specific cultures. For any social work intervention to be effective it must incorporate the cultural elements and nuances that influence the life of the people in a given country. In South Africa the implementation of the western paradigm of casework normally leaves out of account the dynamics of African culture. Consequently, current practice in social casework will have need to undergo a fundamental paradigm shift in order to address the needs of clients in a culturally sensitive way. The problem that this study will address, therefore, is the lack of sensitivity to African culture in the practice of social casework. Not surprisingly, research on the indigenization of casework in South Africa is meagre. This study attempts to contribute to the scientific inquiry about indigenizing casework theory and practice in South Africa. The aim of this study is to present an Afrocentric perspective on the method of social casework that will provide guidelines for practice in African communities in South Africa. To achieve this aim, four objectives are pursued: to describe casework within the context of the history of social work; to identify cultural elements that are essential to practice casework with African clients; to determine to what extent social caseworkers are culturally sensitive; and to investigate how far social caseworkers are equipped to render services to African clients. An exploratory study which is qualitative in nature was conducted. The phenomenological research strategy was used where the researcher, through in-depth interviews with respondents, developed insight into the experiences of social workers with regard to their practice of casework with African clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten respondents who were social workers employed either by the state or by private welfare organizations in the Limpopo Province. The findings of the study are that social work training does not adequately prepare social workers to practice casework effectively with African clients. Indeed, social workers practising casework are not always culturally competent. Guidelines to be considered when practising casework with African clients are presented, and ways are suggested of how social workers can achieve cultural competence in service rendering to African clients. For social casework to succeed in South Africa, it is crucial that caseworkers acknowledge the existence of the African worldview, which is profoundly informed by African culture, and also incorporate the implications of this worldview in their casework framework of practice with African clients.