Introduction To Social Work In South Africa

This book deals effectively with relevant aspects of the nationally approved exit level outcomes that were formulated by the Social Work Standards Generating Body. It comes at a time when the Professional Board for Social Work, under the auspices of the South African Council for Social Services and ASASWEI, is embarking on a process of benchmarking the BSW programmes of each social work school or department against the nationally approved exit level outcomes. This comprehensive book deals with a range of issues, from the early history of social work, to working with individuals and small groups in contemporary debates around economic policy, and macro level intervention, management, administration and research. It also covers youth at risk, HIV/AIDS, child sexual abuse and addiction as particular fields of practice. No introductory social work text would be complete without covering the salient areas of poverty, diversity and multicultural practice, values and ethics and theories for practice -- this book has it all! It is a must for all students of social work . . . and with the move towards Continuing Professional Development, social work practitioners would do well to own one too!

Introduction to Social work explains the background to social work; how it started and where we are now in contemporary social work. It enables the student to distinguish between the different concepts in the field for instance between social work and social welfare. The book also focuses on professional values; particularly on how to express these values through communication. Students need to know how to talk to clients; communication is a core skills, for instance How to approach different clients in different situations. The book includes exploration of core issues and challenges. Human rights would be a central focus (a rights-oriented paradigm) as well as issues of diversity and inclusion.

All recent books on international social work mention Africa only briefly and few engage with the broader field of development studies. This book focuses solely on the unique African context engaging with issues relating to social work and development more broadly thus enabling a deeper examination and more complex and nuanced picture to emerge. Unlike most academic works, this book highlights multiple practitioner voices, with authors or co-authors that have recently been or are currently practising social workers. As an edited book, it draws from both academic research as well as lived practice experience, supported by strong theoretical positioning and guidance in introductory chapters, drawing on African literature, wherever possible. Looking at case-studies from Lesotho, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania and covering established areas of practice such as child protection; working with older people; working with people with disabilities; mental health; and mainstream services targeting women as well as emerging areas of developmental social work practice, such as humanitarian assistance in post-conflict situations; work with immigrants and refugees; and the training of community-based workers, this book takes a future-oriented perspective that aims to move beyond well-worn critiques to envision constructive and sustainable futures for social work and social development in Africa from a critical perspective.

This book is written by Southern African social welfare, social work, social development, social security and social policy academics, practitioners and advocates who have varying degrees of experience. The authors who contributed chapters to this book added their perspectives to ongoing debates about academic areas in the region. Thus, the book’s primary objective is to discuss the development of social welfare and social work in Southern Africa. In doing so, it endeavours to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on social welfare and social work in the region. The chapters are examined through different theoretical lenses and historical perspectives. In this book, African scholars, academics, and practitioners provide a deep and critical reflection of social welfare, social work, and related disciplines during the colonial and post-colonial era, a period characterised by a deliberate move by Africa’s political administrations to focus on nation-building and to attempt to make Africa a global player. Despite being endowed with rich natural resources like minerals; agriculture; and solid family and extended family life, the continent is weak globally. Furthermore, the book focuses on the pre-colonial period – a golden thread running through the chapters. The book discusses the colonial era when Western countries’ capture and oppression of Africa characterised the continent’s history. This book is an appropriate publication at this point in our history; a resource that can be used to generate appropriate narratives and questions within the social welfare and social development sector, particularly on delivery, education and training.

This book is written by Southern African social welfare, social work, social development, social security and social policy academics, practitioners and advocates who have varying degrees of experience. The authors who contributed chapters to this book added their perspectives to ongoing debates about academic areas in the region. Thus, the book’s primary objective is to discuss the development of social welfare and social work in Southern Africa. In doing so, it endeavours to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on social welfare and social work in the region. The chapters are examined through different theoretical lenses and historical perspectives. In this book, African scholars, academics, and practitioners provide a deep and critical reflection of social welfare, social work, and related disciplines during the colonial and post-colonial era, a period characterised by a deliberate move by Africa’s political administrations to focus on nation-building and to attempt to make Africa a global player. Despite being endowed with rich natural resources like minerals; agriculture; and solid family and extended family life, the continent is weak globally. Furthermore, the book focuses on the pre-colonial period – a golden thread running through the chapters. The book discusses the colonial era when Western countries’ capture and oppression of Africa characterised the continent’s history. This book is an appropriate publication at this point in our history; a resource that can be used to generate appropriate narratives and questions within the social welfare and social development sector, particularly on delivery, education and training.

This is the first book that examines healthy human relationships in post-apartheid South Africa. In contemporary South Africa, human relationships are under considerable threat. Despite the 1994 commitment to an inclusive and human-rights-based democracy, human relationships remain strained. Bearing in mind South Africa's tortuous and divisive past, this book brings to light many issues, prospects and challenges with regard to the promotion of healthy human relationships after apartheid ended. Social work and social development perspectives are central to the issues that are raised in this volume. The profession of social work has always championed the centrality of human relationships, being less interested in the internal functioning of people and more interested in their interpersonal functioning within broader structures and forces, including social justice, building people's strengths and capabilities, anti-discrimination, diversity and empowerment. This edited book is based on select papers presented at a social work conference in 2019 that was co-hosted by the Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town and the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions. In the chapters, the contributors offer some solutions to the ubiquitous societal ills that emanate from either corrosive or broken human relationships: Resurgent racism in post-apartheid South Africa and the need to promote healthy human relationships Promoting healthy human relationships with sub-Saharan African immigrants and South Africans Promoting family and human relationships in a traumatised society Social policy, social welfare, social security and legislation in promoting healthy human relationships in post-apartheid South Africa Social protection as a tool to promote healthy human relationships in South Africa Promoting Healthy Human Relationships in Post-Apartheid South Africa is an essential resource for an international audience of scholars, policy-makers, and social work and social development practitioners, legislators and students.

Explore the history and practice of social work around the world! This fascinating book presents a broad international survey of the development and current practices of occupational social work. Covering seven countries around the world, Global Perspectives of Occupational Social Work offers a unique cross-cultural perspective on issues of interest to social workers everywhere. From India to Ireland, issues of training, sexual harassment, and workplace health and safety are remarkably similar and intriguingly varied. Global Perspectives of Occupational Social Work describes the evolution of social work in factories and, later, in offices. When industrialization brought women into factories, owners hired nurses or governesses to guard, chaperone, and advise the young women in their employ. Since then occupational social work has sought to keep a balance between the interests of management and workers. In addition to discussing history and professional development, Global Perspectives of Occupational Social Work reveals the way professionals like you handle the same situations you face every day, including: the shift toward privatization corporate restructuring and downsizing developing alcohol and substance abuse interventions creating employee assistance programs racism and sexism in the workplace HIV/AIDS and other health problems workplace violence Covering Australia, India, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Israel, and the US, Global Perspectives of Occupational Social Work is a major contribution to the professional literature. Not only will this book increase international awareness, it may supply you with unique perspectives and fresh strategies for solving the problems your colleagues in Jerusalem and Pretoria also face.