Summary

The overrepresentation of Indigenous children and families in the child welfare system in Canada is alarming and there is an urgent need for more just and culturally appropriate responses. Although there is evidence that systemic racism and poverty are connected to child maltreatment, these broader issues have gone unaddressed. Despite social work being a predominate profession in child protection, there is a significant gap in the research on how social work education programs are preparing social workers to make a difference in this field of practice. The purpose of this research is to help understand social work education as a platform for critical transformation in child welfare practice. Twenty-eight in depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with three main groups: front line child welfare workers who have social work degrees, social work educators teaching courses related to child welfare, and key informants in leadership and administrative roles related to child welfare delivery systems. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using constructivist grounded theory.Results: Data analysis revealed the complexity of child protection work and the need for social work education to reflect this reality. Findings suggest that preparing students for day-to-day practice as well as social change is necessary. Participants described transformative experiences in the classroom through experiential learning, peer learning, self-awareness, and critical thinking. Participants highlighted that learning multiple perspectives, having realistic portrayals of the field, learning in safe spaces, having a commitment to life-long learning, and understanding personal wellness are elements that facilitate transformative learning.Conclusions/Implications: Child protection services present unique challenges for social workers between helping and controlling. Barriers continue to exist between anti-oppressive frameworks and practice. The findings provide a framework for social work education to deliver transformative learning experiences that help students deconstruct oppressive perspectives and paradigms and learn alternative culturally responsive approaches to child welfare. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social work education, child welfare, transformative learning, Indigenous child welfare

Summary

Displaced populations have received increasing attention, yet the experiences of return migrants remain largely hidden within social sciences. Existing research suggests that policies which impact return migrants, especially those forced to return to their home countries, do not reflect their voices. Specifically, the UNHCR has adopted repatriation as a preferred policy solution, despite research which substantiates that returning to one’s home country is neither durable, nor the end of the migration cycle; as many of 80% of returnees decide to remigrate. This one-size-fits-all approach to forced displacement is a colonial practice as it does not recognize the impact of intersecting identity categories on return migration. To address this, this qualitative study examined the repatriation experiences of return migrant women from Kosovo and the role of social workers in facilitating return. In 2015, Kosovars constituted the fourth largest group of asylum seekers in the European Union, yet 96% of them were rejected. Considering that return migration trends are impacted by global power dynamics, this study relied on a postcolonial theories. Postcolonial theories suggest that power is partly operationalized through language, thus Critical Discourse Analysis was used as a research methodology. CDA is concerned with examining how power, language, and discourses shape social processes and relationships of dominance. Data collection included interviews with 15 return migrant women and 18 service providers in Kosovo. The main findings illustrate that returnee women and service providers rely on colonial discourses which construct Kosovo as inferior to EU countries and highlight the impact of patriarchy and ethnic racism on return migration. A postcolonial analysis demonstrates that despite Kosovars’ challenges with repatriation, EU countries use their power to impose repatriation as a preferred solution for Kosovo’s government. These findings provide important implications for how return migration might be carried out, not only in Kosovo, but worldwide.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Repatriation; Return migration; Postcolonialism; Social Work; Kosovo

Summary

The population of people aged 55 and older is growing significantly in Canada. The aging population of Canada is also becoming more ethnically diverse, with South Asians making up the largest visible minority group in both the 2006 and 2016 census. Also, South Asian females represent the largest visible minority and comprise 5.4% of the Canadian female population and many of them are grandmothers who provide informal support for older adult children. However, the experiences of these grandmothers are missing in extant literature. Hence this paper will be adopting an innovative arts-based method - dohari narrative to explore and present the experiences of Nepalese grandmothers providing informal family support to adult children in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. The research found that the grandmothers feel obliged to take care of the entire family because of how busy their children are, and this might be a source of stress for them. This calls for a rethink for older care providers and provision of culturally sensitive interventions by social workers.

Keywords (separate with commas)

aging population, South Asian grandmothers, informal family support, dohari narrative, culturally sensitive interventions

Summary

The Prairie Child Welfare Consortium (PCWC) is a partnership between academic institutions, government representatives, and community agencies across three neighboring Canadian provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The PCWC is committed to supporting families who encounter the child welfare system. The provinces share a similar colonial history of child welfare and face unique challenges as well as opportunities for promoting child and family wellness. Social workers have always played a role in developing and delivering child welfare services and there is a responsibility to help shape the future of child welfare to be culturally responsive and anti-oppressive.\ The Consortium provides a model for provinces/states and groups interested in collaborating to solve complex challenges by sharing ideas, resources, and engaging in research by creating a multi-sector and cross-cultural child welfare network.\ The PCWC has held ten biennial symposia bringing together various child welfare participants to discuss research findings, purpose solutions, and collaborate across jurisdictional and professional boundaries on child welfare issues. Part of the symposia structure is to include pre-conference training workshops and pre-conference meetings of Indigenous scholars and allies, focused on education and research pertinent to Indigenous child welfare. An important outcome of PCWC symposia has been the publication of eight books. This series: Voices from the Prairies has become an important resource for child welfare across Canada.\ The presenters will describe the Consortiums unique structure and collaborative model as well as the impact and outcomes that have been a result. Future initiatives by the PCWC to strengthen its capacity moving forward to create research partnerships, deliver education, and support policy and practice development will also be discussed.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social work education, Child welfare, Collaboration

Summary

There may be various reasons for substance use and misuse in society, but the component of race makes the problem of addiction more endemic for Black and other racialized individuals and families. Using the emancipatory approaches of Critical Race and Critical Whiteness Theories as well as the Intersectionality framework, this presentation aims to examine the oppression of addiction in Black families, touching on precipitating factors such as the lived experience of racism and systemic violence as well as the over-representation of Black Canadians in the provincial and federal correctional systems.\ The objectives are to: a) assess the contributing, risk, and vulnerability factors for substance use and abuse for Black service users; b) examine barriers to help-seeking in the Black family/community; c) identify social work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels; and d) highlight culturally relevant resources (including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments) for Black individuals and families. The outcomes would be for participants to recognize the layers of oppression under which Black individuals function in society, and for health and addiction professionals to gain insight into intervention strategies regarding working with Black individuals, families, and communities.For Black Canadians, addiction is often beyond individual pathology, therefore, treatment and interventional models must incorporate the family and community (who aid their treatment, relapse, and/or recovery), and the disabling external environment of marginalization, criminalization, and social exclusion. This presentation will, therefore, spotlight critical social work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and the need for social workers to be sensitive to provide services in culturally meaningful ways. Given the increasing diversity of Canada’s sociocultural landscape, this presentation has implications for social work practice in addictions for Black service users and social policies and legislations by policy-makers at the national and international stages.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Emancipatory approaches, addictions, Black service users, Black families and communities, Canada, inclusive social policies, social work practice

Summary

Students who live in Northern and rural communities and cohort-oriented students often face barriers in traditional social work education. In presentation author will introduces an innovative solution – the On/Off-the-Ground Cohort Model – redefining the landscape of social work education in Canada for greater inclusivity and flexibility.This presentation explores how implementing flexible on/off-the-ground cohort models in social work education can increase respect for diversity.First, it examines how reserving learning for physical classrooms limits participation for groups including rural students, working professionals, and those with disabilities or caregiving responsibilities. Second, it outlines an on/off-the-ground approach that synchronizes online and in-person learning within a cohort. This provides multiple pathways to a social work degree. Third, the presentation details multiple benefits of the model in areas like cost savings, customized learning, inclusive access, collaboration, and community impact. Finally, it invites discussion on challenges in shifting from conventional delivery models that have marginalized non-traditional groups.The presenter argues that respecting diversity requires moving beyond rhetoric to challenge systems that inhibit equity in access. Social work education claiming to value diversity must mirror this commitment in teaching practices that embrace varied learning needs. By making education more available, accessible and applicable to non-traditional learners on/off-the-ground cohort models demonstrate respect for diversity.\ Participant Takeaways:Technological Empowerment: Discover the potential of technology to transcend physical limitations, promoting inclusivity and global engagement.Balancing Act: Understand the delicate balance between flexibility and structure, enabling personalized learning experiences without compromising curriculum quality.Responsive Education: Participants will gain insights into tailoring education to individual circumstances, effectively reaching students who face obstacles in traditional learning settings.In this presentation, the author presents not just a model, but a transformative shift that respects diversity, promotes accessibility, and equips educators to shape the future of social work education.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social work education, on/off the ground cohort model, Canada

Summary

Context: As a result of colonial policies and traumatic experiences (CRPA, 1995; CVRC, 2015; ENFFADA, 2019), First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals experience more psychological, spiritual and social distress than non-Indigenous people (Bombay et al., 2014 ; INSPQ, 2021 ; Kirmayer et al., 2009 ; Maté, 2022). In response to the exponential growth of requests for distress assistance amongst the general population (80 % of all calls to police), and the limitations of police intervention methods with Indigenous people (CERP, 2019), four pilot EMIPIC (hybrid teams composed of police and community responders) were deployed in Quebec (Canada) as of March 2022. Objectives: The study aims to elucidate what are the foundations and memorandum of understanding of hybrid teams and their implications for culturally safe intervention with Indigenous people in distress? Four main objectives are pursued: (1) understanding the reality and needs (mental wellness) of the Indigenous members interviewed; (2) identifying the extent to which their conception of balance and mental wellness is recognized and valued by the EMIPIC; (3) apprehending how the Indigenous participants felt during the intervention; and (4) describing how they perceived the nature of the services promulgated by the EMIPIC. Method and results: The authors conducted a scoping review on hybrid practices with Indigenous people, based on a scientific and media corpus. In addition, preliminary analysis of qualitative data collected to shed light on the experiences of twenty (n = 20) Indigenous members (essentially anishinabeg – algonquins) from the Maniwaki, Kitigan Zibi and Lac Barrière regions, who were in contact with an EMIPIC in the event of psychological, spiritual, or social distress, are exposed. Discussion: Implications for research and intervention, and recommendations are identified for the renewal of promising practices in the field.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Hybrid Intervention Teams, Holistic Wellness, Indigenous People, Urban Environment, Cultural Safety, Renewal of Practices

Summary

The circle tool has been used for orally transmitting knowledge, fact gathering, conflict resolution, restorative justice and healing in many communities for centuries. The circle represents an unbroken inclusive intimate egalitarian space where everyone sits face to face, knowing and being known because the face is the window to the soul. Using the circle for teaching, research or practice with groups, families and individuals is innovative but not novel. The (ASC) for instance builds on long standing cultural traditions, honouring the epistemology of African ancestors to illuminate contemporary African lived experiences.The Afrocentric Sharing Circle promotes transparency, trustworthiness and authenticity, valuing\ African socio-cultural capital, promoting trust and building intercultural and intergenerational community. The ASC aligns with the subtheme of anticolonial/Indigenous/ /Emancipatory approaches by centering Africans as knowledge producers and thereby disrupting hegemony and white supremacy. Framed by Afrocentric, critical race and anti-colonial theories, ASC enables asking hitherto unasked research questions, facilitates access to nuanced but often supressed/ repressed feelings and produces deep meaning making and empowering insights.The ASC has been used in funded research studies with Black youth, social workers, Black families, and older Black adults. In this workshop we discuss the features of ASC including African ambience, food, research as ceremony, cultural acknowledgement, mutual healing from the wounds of colonialism and power balancing in the circle. Participants report that engaging in ASC is as empowering and illuminating as the research outcomes. In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to enact an Afrocentric Sharing Circle and collectively debrief its applications to their own research, \ teaching and practice.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Afrocentric Sharing Circle, Emancipatory/ \ Qualitative research, Anti-colonial, Cultural appreciation, Afrocentric theory, mutual healing

Summary

Caribbean social work students and practitioners often encounter challenges in applying generalist social work frameworks to their practice with Caribbean people or those with Caribbean heritage in the diaspora. Their struggles often involve understanding Caribbean social work issues through theoretical lenses developed in western societies. Since the early origins of training of social welfare officers in the Caribbean, the development of social work education, research and practice has continued to be heavily influenced by the global north.With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, every facet of social work in the Caribbean has been disrupted. As social work practitioners, educators and researchers sought to navigate the pandemic, there was a reliance on solutions and good practices developed outside of the Caribbean. Very little attempt was made to examine how Caribbean historical and cultural perspectives and traditions could be integrated to strengthen social work delivery in the region.This paper reflects on the calls for decolonializing social work in the Caribbean social work education. The paper advances an argument for the development of a homegrown, decolonized social work perspective which can meet the needs of populations in a [post] pandemic era. This paper provides insights from an on-going project which examines the perspectives of social work educators, researchers, and practitioners in the Caribbean, on the imperatives for decolonizing social work practice, education and research. After engaging with social work professionals throughout the Caribbean and through a process of self-reflexive questioning, I propose the need for a Caribbean perspective in Social Work. I share the initial concepts as an emerging paradigm which is based on Caribbean shared values, communality, environment, cultural traditions and social life. I propose this as a possible theoretical base for sustainable social work with Caribbean populations.   

Keywords (separate with commas)

decolonization, social work perspective, Caribbean social work education, emancipatory social work

Summary

Orality, textuality, and visuality play vital roles in creating ontological spaces, maintaining traditions, consolidating identities, and mobilizing resources for both individual and community development (Hernández-Ochoa \& González-Orjuela, 2017; Plaisir, 2010; Ulmer \& Paine, 2011). With the emergence of new technologies, Haiti finds itself at a critical intersection to potentially capitalize on these expressive, discursive, and dialogical tools for societal transformation. However, various barriers– interpersonal, institutional, and sociocultural– pose significant challenges to harnessing the full potential of these tools. Therefore, this presentation discusses the dynamic interplay between traditional oral practices, textual communication, and visual media in Haiti using the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to examine the dialectical and transformative dimensions embedded in the interconnections between individuals, their cultural and historical environments, and the communicative activities in which they are engaged. First, this presentation explores the multifaceted role of orality, textuality, and visuality in community engagement and knowledge transmission, as well as their impact on community cohesion, identity formation, and resistance/resilience of cultural heritage. Second, as technology penetrates the everyday lives of Haitian communities– both in Haiti and abroad–, the critical perspective adopted in this project addresses the potential tensions and contradictions that arise as orality, textuality, and visuality intersect within the Haitian context under the influences of digitalized, incentivized, and highly interactive platforms facilitated by the web 2.0., while paying close attention to uneven power dynamics within these communication modalities. Lastly, this presentation contributes to a broader understanding of the transformative capacities of orality, textuality, and visuality in community development initiatives in Haiti. By recognizing and valuing the diversity of communication practices, it is necessary to empower and advocate for the inclusion and representation of traditionally marginalized voices, cultural expressions, and local knowledge systems in all translocal and glocalized processes of community transformation.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Communication modalities, technology, orality, community transformation

Summary

This presentation is based on the preliminary findings of my own qualitative research for PhD, entitled Decolonising social work with Nepali women that aims to explores Nepali society, the multifaceted identities of Nepali women, and the critical role of social work in addressing the complexities they face in their daily lives. To better understand about Nepali women’s positionality in Nepali society as well as how Nepali social workers are working with them, I identified that in-depth interviews with female social work graduates would represent Nepali women as well as social work pedagogy and praxes in Nepal. Having both qualification and experience would allow me to explore about effective and relevant social work working modalities and approach with Nepali women. The initial findings shed light on historical, sociocultural, economic, and political struggles of Nepali women and how the interplays of these worsen the statuses and identities of Nepali women. Furthermore, overly emphasized themes that emerged from the interviews were the deeply rooted and blindly practiced patriarchal norms, discriminatory practices on and with Nepali women, and Nepali women’s nature of acceptance of all kinds of social inequalities as their fate. They also highlighted the potential of social work in understanding how Nepali women reflect on their identities, navigate cultural and societal pressures, and develop a sense of self that is informed and empowered within. And, finally, the participants in this study accentuated that there is a need for a contextually grounded, emancipatory social work approach to respond to the daily struggles of Nepali women. Most importantly, this presentation emphasizes on understanding the diverse struggles and identities of Nepali women as crucial aspect in Nepali social work practice for their emancipation.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Keywords: gender, Nepali women, social inequality, emancipatory approach, Nepali social work.

Summary

This paper is aiming at further analyze results from a previous study by the author, based on stories from Sámi with various abilities, and examine concepts of disability and inclusion, and influence these concepts could have among Sámi with various abilities or disabilities. The study showed strength among informants, traditional knowledge, and cognitive, physical, and spiritual abilities included, which were adjusted to the individuals’ life conditions. Their abilities and strengths were about maintaining their Sámi context, family support, and self-developed aid, based on Sámi worldview in which individuals are not labelled as disabled. Instead, all have abilities and are important for family and society. Challenges like being in institutions, or being questioned by elder care staff, could lead to isolation, loosing family contacts, language and cultural experiences, and impaired wellbeing. Informants hoped for awareness in mainstream society of Sámi existence and their rights as Indigenous People, which could support informants’ everyday life. Welfare services offered to persons with various abilities or ‘disabilities’, were based on worldview and life of mainstream society with same rights for all citizens, an established statement in the Swedish Welfare system, probably with intentions of inclusion. Moreover, legislations and insurance system are based on ‘disabilities’, problems, and burden for the individual and family. Thus, concepts of disability and inclusion could lead to exclusion among informants. In this study, I draw on Sámi perspective and indigeneity, history, culture, and language included, Indigenous methodology, and Sámi rights as Indigenous, and rights as persons with ‘disabilities’. Appropriate ethical guidelines for Indigenous research are followed. The study is approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board at Umeå University in Sweden. Conclusively, I suggest actions, among welfare actors, considering Sámi’s rights both as Indigenous, regarding Swedish legislations, and UN Declaration on the rights as persons with ‘disabilities’.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Disability, Decolonization, Inclusion, Indigenous, Sámi, Social Work, Welfare, Wellbeing.\ 

Summary

The concept of time is tied to environmental and cultural components. The notions of time for the people in the global south, especially in the predominantly agricultural and indigenous communities, are natural and seasonal. In contrast, the west treats time tied to work hours and values exactness in timekeeping. The punctuality of Euro-Americans is a privilege developed from centuries of lived experience in industrialized societies. In contrast, punctuality was not part of their lifestyle for many generations in the global south. The west sees monetary value in time, and punctuality is expected behavior. The Euro-American culture often looks down on the inability of people from Asia and Africa for not be punctual and treats it as an individual failure. Such an approach is a clear dynamic of historical privilege and oppression. Sense of time affects the behavioral pattern of people as well.  While there is a likelihood of interpersonal friction in adherence to punctuality, a nonlinear understanding of time promotes collaboration. The eco-social and environmental context of social work practice and education are linked to diversity in the sense of time and differences in punctuality. This paper positions punctuality as a privilege and discusses the challenges of diverse communities with the western notion of punctuality. This presentation will explore the differences between the global north and south in the concept of time, referencing historical and cultural contexts in understanding time.

Keywords (separate with commas)

punctuality, time, privilege, industrialisation  

Summary

This research abstract examines the persistence of colonial legacies in African states, highlighting the limited progress achieved since the initial decolonisation calls of the early to mid-20th century. Despite a superficial shift in political administration, Africa continues to grapple with underdevelopment while embracing imitations of European and North American cultures. In the context of education, this study argues that decolonisation has not taken root and emphasizes the need to reconsider teaching and learning practices. Recognizing the crucial link between education and upward social mobility, this presentation emphasizes the importance of addressing the approaches, quality, and relevance of education within a decolonial framework. The author contends that without firmly embedding teaching and learning practices in a clearly articulated decolonial approach, the social developmental aspirations of previously colonised nations will remain elusive. To shed light on the calls for decoloniality and the praxis of decolonising teaching and learning, this research paper conducts a comprehensive desktop review of the literature. Drawing on critical race theory (CRT), the paper critically reflects on the key aspects that necessitate attention in the process of decolonising teaching and learning. Moreover, the paper offers recommendations for various academic disciplines to initiate discussions and act towards decolonising their teaching and learning processes, as well as the content therein. Consequently, this presentation proposes a conceptual framework for decolonising the curriculum. By exploring the intersection of decoloniality and education, this research aims to contribute to the broader discourse on decolonisation, fostering a more inclusive and transformative educational environment that aligns with the social and developmental aspirations of formerly colonised nations.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Work, Teaching and Learning, Decolonisation, Social Development, Critical Race Theory, Approach.

Summary

Pluralistic discourses on social work, including those on postcolonial/decolonial social work, indigenous social work and culturally relevant practices, are attracting increasing interest globally. This preliminary study examined the process of constructing alternative discourses on social work from the analytical perspective of the social representation theory posited in the domain of social psychology. Case studies in three areas were discussed in the Asian context: culturally relevant domestic social work, Buddhist social work, and international social work. The results of previous studies conducted by the author and his colleagues were subjected to a qualitative comparative analysis. The investigation focused on the familiarisation mechanism, which includes the processes of anchoring and objectifying. Different aspects, including familiarisation, cognitive polyphasia, and unfamiliar phenomena, were observed depending on the relevant concepts and terms used. However, the results indicated that certain social work discourses were constructed using relevant concepts and terms via dialogue and conference, research and publication, and education. Despite several acknowledged limitations, the findings of this study indicate that diverse and alternative discourses are gradually becoming common within the discipline. Furthermore, this study suggests that the perspective of the social representation theory is useful for social work research because it clarifies the process of constructing diverse discourses as a social reality.

Keywords (separate with commas)

alternative discourse, international perspective, Indigenous social work, international social work, qualitative analysis

Summary

Our thematic analysis of the academic literature on Canadian Muslim Youth aims to identify and describe the factors which contribute to the construction of identity among Muslim youth in Canada and make some research and policy recommendations to address this issue. In this review, we responded to the following questions: What is the current research evidence for Canadian Muslim Youth identify construction? What are the major themes included in the identifies publications?  

Keywords (separate with commas)

Muslim Youth, Canada, Identity, Racism, Religiosity, Scoping review, Islam, Muslims, Islamophobia