Summary

The approach of „Social Space Orientation“, which is widely used in German-speaking countries, also serves as a conceptual foundation in the field of school social work.It is often misinterpret that social space orientation focuses only on cooperation and networking. But if we take a deeper look at the guiding principles, it becomes clear that the concept is based on a multifaceted theoretical idea that focuses on an inclusive work, oriented to promoting diversity in the respective communities.An overview of concrete practical experiences of the implementation of the approach of „Social Space Orientation“ as a diversity concept is given in the short presentation.

Keywords (separate with commas)

School Social Work, Social Space Orientation, Diversity Concept

Summary

Social work education in the global North often follows a regulatory framework with students having to evidence certain standards within degree programmes in \ Scotland social work education is informed by Scottish Social Services Council’s (SSSC) Standards in Social Work Education. These standards are largely underpinned by Scottish contextual imperatives and policy and legislative frameworks. Such approaches are pedagogically rooted in Western canons of knowledge, there is little space for students to develop a critical appreciation of \ cultural identities of a population that is ethnically diverse. Curriculum requirements often framed by contextual demands invariably impact on students’ ability to critically engage in a decolonised examination of race, ethnicity, culture and differences. This impacts their ability to recognise the impact of colonisation on those who use services.\ \ With shifting migration trends, social workers are called upon to support service users whose cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds and identities differ from the white Scottish majority population. The shifting demographic profile of Scotland’s population has challenged us to think creatively and open up conversations on how best educators could enable students to develop knowledge, skills and values that would help the graduates to better engage with a diversity of service users.\ Social Work at the University of Edinburgh has been developing international placements to equip students with the knowledge and skills to work with diverse populations. Situated in different cultural and geographic regions, our international placements have allowed students with a fascinating opportunity to develop their learning in a different cultural context, yet closely aligned to the Scottish regulatory standards. Such international placements have become an integral part of our qualifying social work programme. Drawing on student feedback, the presentation will examine the history and benefits of cross-cultural learning and how to overcome the challenges that come in the way of such innovative approaches.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Work, Education, Cultural, fieldwork, student experience, Scottish regulatory standards, international placement development, cross-cultural learning