Ubuntu is an Indigenous African philosophy that informs social work beyond the residual and individualistic conceptualisation, offering a decolonising framework for education and practice in African contexts. It can influence and be the foundation for African social work theory and knowledge, values and ethics, research and policy, and different fields of practice. This book brings together social workers to theorise Ubuntu and its tenets, philosophies, and values, making it a foundation for a decolonised, more relevant social work education and practice in African contexts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Ubuntu, an Indigenous African philosophy, is explored in this book as a means of informing social work beyond the predominantly residual and individualistic perspective that currently dominates in many contexts. The lack of social work theories, models, and literature that are locally and contextually relevant has led to a growing recognition of the potential of Ubuntu as a decolonising framework for social work education and practice. This book brings together social workers from various fields to theorise Ubuntu and its tenets, philosophies, and values, highlighting its potential to shape a more relevant and decolonised social work education and practice in African contexts.

Ubuntu: An Indigenous African Philosophy Informing Social Work

This book addresses a recurrent gap in social work literature by examining Ubuntu as an Indigenous African philosophy that informs social work beyond the largely residual and individualistic conceptualisation of social work that currently prevails in many contexts. Owing to the lack of social work theories, models, and generally, literature that is locally and contextually relevant, most social work lecturers based in African contexts struggle to access learning materials and texts that centre local indigenous voices and worldviews. It is within this context that the ubuntu philosophy has gained traction. There is increasing consensus that Ubuntu as an African philosophy and way of life, has the potential to be used as a decolonising framework for social work education and practice. Theorising from Ubuntu can influence and be the foundation for African social work theory and knowledge, social work values and ethics, social work research and policy, and Ubuntu informing different fields of social work practice like social work with older people, children and young people, ubuntu and poverty alleviation, ubuntu and the environment, among others. Drawing together social workers engaged in education, research, policy, practice, to theorise Ubuntu and its tenets, philosophies, and values, this book shows how it can be a foundation for a decolonised, more relevant social work education and practice in African contexts.

Weight: 840g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032361260