Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Indigenous or Blended Model for South Asian Social Work?

Abstract

An argument about indigenous social work education often surfaces in South Asian schools of social work. In this study, central concerns around the indigenous argument, together with a review of the pervasive influence of the western model of social work in Asia is undertaken.

The three author- research team, utilised a methodology that featured a desk review and an analysis of communications with select South Asian scholars and academics that were respondents for the study. Additionally, the authors present their personal reflections, that prudently address their positionality and reflexivity.

The primary finding in this research paper is that the legacy of Western-influenced social work education is thriving within the region, despite criticism from different quarters about its effectiveness. The secondary finding is the admittance by respondent academics in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal that relevant to their societal context, limited adaptations have been introduced and are working in their respective countries. The current research provided an opportunity to research participants to view and summarily reject claims by certain bogies that western influence in social work is solely responsible for lack of cultural appropriation within the curriculum in South Asia.   The study suggests that there is a lot that can take place by way of adaptation without sacrificing the cultural elements while rearranging the social work curriculum within the region. The authors strongly advocate a blended approach as a suitable course of moderation in the re-construction attempts of social work futures in South Asia.  

Keywords

Indigenous social work, Blended social work, South Asia, social work curriculum

pdf

Author Biography

Tulshi Kumar Das

Professor of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh


References

  1. Akbar, M. A. (1965). Elements of social welfare. College of Social Welfare and Research, Dacca.
  2. Alphonse, M., George, P. & Moffatt, K. (2008). Redefining social work standards in the context of globalization: lessons from India. International Social Work, 51(2), 145-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872807085855
  3. Attanayake, S (2016). Challengers of Social Work Education in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice,4 (5), 118 – 120, doi: 10.13189/ijrh.2016.040504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13189/ijrh.2016.040504
  4. Bhatt, S., and Phukan D. (2015). Social Work Education in India- A Resource Book, AlterNotes Press, New Delhi.
  5. Bhattacharyya, R., Das, T., Alam, F and Parvin Amina (2018). Researching Domestic Violence in Bangladesh: Critical Reflections, Journal Ethics and Social Welfare, 12(4), 314-329, https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2018.1458889. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2018.1458889
  6. Bird, M. Y. & Gray, M. (2014). Indigenous people and language of social work. In M. Gray, J. Coates, & M. Y. Bird (Eds.), Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice (p. 59). Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire.
  7. Brady, A. (2011). Opportunity sampling. In V. Jupp (ed.). The SAGE Dictionary of Social Research Methods. London: SAGE Publications. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9780857020116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857020116
  8. Briskman, L. (2003). The black grapevine: Aboriginal activism and the stolen generations. The Federation Press, Sydney.
  9. Cox, D. (1991). Social work education in the Asia-Pacific Region. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, 1(1), 7-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21650993.1991.9755559
  10. Curriculum Review Committee for Higher Education. (2003). Review of social work curriculum. Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan.
  11. Das, T. K. (2012). Applicability and relevance of social work knowledge and skills in the context of Bangladesh. SUST Studies, 15(1), 45-52.
  12. Das, T. K. (2013). Internationalization of social work education in Bangladesh. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.), Internationalization of social work education in Asia (pp. 37-56). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Tokyo: Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE).
  13. Das, T. K. (2014). Indigenization of social work education in Bangladesh. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo, (Eds.), Internationalization & indigenization of social work education in Asia (pp. 39-60). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Tokyo: Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE).
  14. Das, T. K. (2016). Innovative social work teaching and effective social work learning. In A. Azman, J. Sulaiman, P. S. J. Singh, M. T. Mohamad (Eds.). Contemporary Social Work Education, Training and Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region (pp. 37-50). Institut Sosial Malaysia, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, Malaysia.
  15. Das, T. K. (2018). Social work practice with abused married women. In L.Vilka, O. Bruvers, A. Abele, M. Lotko, & I. Razgale (Eds.), Social Work Case Analysis: Global Perspective (pp. 33-64). Rigas Stradina Universitate, Latvia.
  16. Das, T., Alam, F., Bhattacharyya, R. and Parvin, A. (2015). Causes and Contexts of Domestic Violence: Tales of the Help Seeking Married Women in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 9(2), 163–176, DOI:10.1111/aswp.12055. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aswp.12055
  17. Das, T., Bhattacharyya, R. Alam, F., and Parvin, A. (2016). Domestic Violence in Sylhet, Bangladesh: Analysing the Experiences of Abused Women, Journal Social Change, 46 (1), 106-123, DOI: 10.1177/0049085715618561. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0049085715618561
  18. Das, T. (2018). Social Work Practice with Abused Married Women in Bangladesh. In Marika Lotko (Ed.). Social Work Case Analysis: Global Perspective: Collection of articles about experience on case work and social case management of eleven countries, (pp. 33-64) Rīga Stradiņš University, Publication, Rīga.
  19. Das, T., Bhattacharyya, R. Alam, F., and Parvin, A. (2020). In-depth Semi-structured Interviewing: Researching Domestic Violence as a Public Health Issue in Bangladesh, SAGE Research Methods Cases Medicine & Health, Disciplines: Public Health, Online ISBN: 9781529719840, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529719840. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529719840
  20. Desai, A. S. (1985). The foundations of social work education in India and some issues. The Indian Journal of Social Work, 46(1), 41-57.
  21. Dowling, R. (2009). Ethical issues in research. In Rob Kitchin and Nigel Thrift (Eds.). International Encyclopedia of Human Geography (pp. 595-600). Elsevier, Oxford. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008044910-4.00429-6
  22. Educational Vision (2019). MA Social Work Universities and Colleges in Pakistan, Retrieved on 13 March 2020 from, https://www.eduvision.edu.pk/institutions-offering-social-work-with-field-social-sciences-at-master-ma-msc-level-in-pakistan-page-1
  23. Gopalkrishnan N., Pulla V. (2016). Beyond cultural competence: Working across cultures in a globalized world. In V. Pulla (Ed.), The Lhotsampa People of Bhutan. Palgrave Macmillan, New York,https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137551429_8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137551429_8
  24. Graham, J. R., Al-Krenawi, A. & Zaidi, S. (2007). Social work in Pakistan: Preliminary insights. International Social Work, 50(5), 627-640. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872807079920
  25. Gray, M. & Coates, J. (2008). From ‘Indigenization’ to Cultural Relevance. In M. Gray, J. Coates, & M. Y. Bird (Eds.), Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice (pp. 13-30), Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire.
  26. Gray, M., Bird, M. Y. & Coates, J. (2008).Towards an understanding of indigenous Social work. In M. Gray, J. Coates, & M.Y. Bird (Eds.). Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice (pp. 49-50), Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire.
  27. Gray, M., Coates, J. & Bird, M. Y. (Eds.) (2008). Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire.
  28. Griffiths, M. (1998). Educational Research for Social Justice: Getting off the Fence. Open University Press, Buckingham
  29. Halim, M. A. (1992). Social work and practical training: Ideals and realities. In M. H. Rahman, A. S. M. N. Islam, M. A. Halim, & M. A. S. Bhuiyan (Eds.). Field training in social work (pp. 42-48), Department of Social Work, University of Rajshahi.
  30. Haug, E. (2001). Writing in the margins: Critical reflection on the emerging discourse of international social work. Unpublished MSW thesis. Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Canada.
  31. Herath, C. J. (2014). Evidence of indigenization of social work education in Sri Lanka. In T.T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.), Internationalization & indigenization of social work education in Asia (pp. 121-157). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  32. Islam, A. S. M. N. (1992). The role of social services department and development agencies in practical training. In M. H. Rahman, A. S. M. N. Islam, M. A. Halim, & M. A. S. Bhuiyan (Eds.). Field training in social work (pp. 20-29), Department of Social Work, University of Rajshahi.
  33. Kanchan Pd. Kharel, Venkat Pulla (2014). Building Resilient Communities through Bottom up Approach: Case Study of a Rural Education Centred NGO from Nepal. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 2(3), 58 - 65. doi: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020302.
  34. Kumar, A. (2002). Social work in India: A ‘bright’ future? Indian Journal of Social Work, 63(1), 80-89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/J198v01n04_08
  35. Leyson, A. T., Pablo, L. D. & Nicolas, J. V. (2014). Social work education in the Philippines. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.). Internationalization & indigenization of social work education in Asia (pp. 255-300). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  36. Malik, A. & Sarfaraz, S. F. (2012). Social Work Practice in Health Care with Special Reference to Pakistan Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences6 (1), 210-215.
  37. Mehta, B. H. (1986). Historical background of social work in India. Indian Journal of Social Work, 46, 441-455.
  38. McCorkel, Jill A. and Kristen Myers (2003). What Difference Does Difference Make? Position and Privilege in the Field. Qualitative Sociology 26, 199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022967012774
  39. Midgley, J. (1981). Professional imperialism: Social work in the Third World. Heinemann Educational Books, London.
  40. Nagpaul, H. (1993). Analysis of social work teaching material from India: The need for indigenous foundations. International Social Work, 36(3), 207-220. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002087289303600303
  41. Nikku, B. R. (2013). Internationalization of social work education in Asia: A case study of Nepal School of social work. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo, (Eds.). Internationalization of social work education in Asia (pp.151-193). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Tokyo: Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE).
  42. Nikku, B. R. (2014). Indigenization of social work in Nepal: Rhetoric and reality. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.). Internationalization & indigenization of social work education in Asia (pp. 105-120). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  43. Nikku, B. R. (2014). Social work education in South Asia: Diverse, dynamic and disjointed. In C. Noble, H. Strauss & B. Littlechild (Eds.). Global social work: Crossing borders, blurring boundaries (pp. 97-112). Sydney University Press, Sydney, NSW.
  44. Nikku, B. R., & Pulla, V. (2014). Global agenda for social work and social development: Voices of the social work educators from Asia. International Social Work, 57(4), 373-385. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872814527633
  45. Osei-Hwedie, K. (1993). The challenges of social work in Africa: Starting the indigenization Process. Journal of Social Development in Africa, 8(1), 19-30.
  46. Pathare, S. (2014).Social work education in India. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.). Internationalization & indigenization of social work education in Asia (pp. 183-254). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  47. Pulla, V. (2014). Chapter 10: Spiritually Sensitive Social Work: The Road worth Taking Chapter. (pp.194-211), In Bala Raju Nikku and Zulkarnain Ahmad Hatta (eds.). Social Work Education and Practice: Scholarship and Innovations in the Asia Pacific, Primrose Hall, Australia.
  48. Pulla, V. & Das, T. K. (2015). Coping and resilience: Women headed households in Bangladesh floods. In V. Pulla & B. B. Mamidi (Eds.). Some Aspects of Community Empowerment and Resilience (pp. 226-240). Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13189/ijrh.2015.030502
  49. Pulla V. (2016). The Lhotsampa People of Bhutan. Palgrave Macmillan, New York DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137551429
  50. Pulla, V., & Woods, J. (2016). The Lhotsampa in Australia: Their Spirituality for Coping and Resilience. Society and Culture in South Asia, 2(1), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/2393861715608979. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2393861715608979
  51. Pulla, V. (2017). Strengths-based approach in social work: A distinct ethical advantage. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 3(2), 97-114.
  52. Plath, D. (2011). Social work capacity building in the Maldives. In S. Stanley (Ed.), Social work in countries of the East (pp. 347-367). Nova Science, USA.
  53. Raju, S. (2002). We are Different, but Can We Talk?, Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 9 (2) pp. 173-177
  54. Ragab, I. (1982). Authentization of social work in developing countries. Integrated Social Services Project, Egypt.
  55. Ragab, I. (1990). How social work can take root in developing countries. Social Development Issues, 12(3), 38-51.
  56. Ranaweera, A. (2013). Review and record of the history of social work education in Sri Lanka. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.). Internationalization of social work education in Asia. Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  57. Rehmatullah, S. (2002). Social welfare in Pakistan. Oxford University Press, London.
  58. Resnick, R. P. (1976). Conscientization: An indigenous approach to international social work. International Social Work, 19 (2), 21-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002087287601900106
  59. Salzman, P, C. (2002), On reflexivity. American Anthropologist, 104(3), 805-813. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.2002.104.3.805
  60. Samad, M. & Das, T. K. (2014). Contextualizing social work practice in Bangladesh. In Nikku, B. R. & A. H. Zulkarnain, (Eds.). Social work education and practice: scholarship and innovations in the Asia Pacific (pp. 72-96). Primrose Hall Publishing Group, Brisbane Australia.
  61. Samad, M. (2009). Development of social work education in Bangladesh and need for Asia-Pacific regional cooperation. Proceedings of Seoul International Social Work Conference, Seoul. Social Work Education and Practice Development, South Korea.
  62. Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
  63. Shawky, A. (1972). Social work education in Africa. International Social Work, 15(1), 3-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002087287201500302
  64. Shek, D., (2017), Editorial: A Snapshot of Social Work in the Asia–Pacific Region, The British Journal of Social Work,47(1), 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx007
  65. Singh, S., Gumz, E. Z. & Crawley, B. C. (2010). Predicting India’s future: Does it justify the exportation of US social work education? Social Work Education, 30(7), 861-873. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2010.515303
  66. Shoukat, A., & Pulla, V. R. (2017). Desert Dwellers’ Meaning and Existence of Spirituality: A Gendered Case Study of Cholistan, Pakistan. Space and Culture, India, 5(2), 32-46. https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v5i2.278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v5i2.278
  67. Takacs, D, (2003). How Does Your Positionality Bias Your Epistemology? The New Higher Education Journal Thought & Action pp. 27 – 38.
  68. Townson, L. & Pulla, V. (2015), Preparing Social Workers for Empowerment: The Place of Positionality and its Continual Intricacies’. (pp. 30-48). In Pulla, V. and Mamidi, B.B. (ed). Some Aspects of Community Empowerment and Resilience Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
  69. Tsang, A. K. T., & Yan, M. C. (2001).Chinese corpus, western application: The Chinese strategy of engagement with western social work discourse. International Social Work, 44(4), 433-454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002087280104400404
  70. University Grants Commission. (1965). Social work education in Indian universities. New Delhi.
  71. Urdang, E. (2010). Awareness of self-A critical tool. Social Work Education, 29(5), 523-538. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470903164950
  72. United Nations Children’s Fund, State of the Social Service Workforce in South Asia (2018). UNICEF, Kathmandu, Pages 20. Retrieved on 01 January 2020 from, https://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/ROSA_2018_ROAR.pdf
  73. Vasudevan, V. (2014). Indigenization of field practice in social work education in Sri Lanka. In T. Akimoto, & K. Matsuo (Eds.), Internationalization & Indigenization of Social Work Education in Asia (pp. 159-181). Social Work Research Institute, Asian Center for Welfare in Society (ACWelS), Japan College of Social Work, Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), Tokyo.
  74. Wadia, A. R. (1968). History and philosophy of social work in India. Allied Publishers, Bombay.
  75. Weaver, H. N. (2014). Indigenous social work in the United States: Reflections on Indian Tacos, Trojan Horses and Canoes filled with indigenous revolutionaries. In M. Gray, J. Coates, & M.Y. Bird, (Eds.), Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice(p.71), Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire.
  76. Yadav, R. (2018). Shifting the Ground in Nepali Social Work: A Decolonizing Perspective. Critical Social Work, 19(2), 76-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22329/csw.v19i2.5681
  77. Yip, K. (2004). A Chinese cultural critique of the global qualifying standards for social work education. Social Work Education, 23(5), 597-612. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0261547042000252316

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >>