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.\