Decolonization of social work: A panacea for effective and efficient social work practice in post-colonial Nigeria
Keywords:
Decolonization, Indoctrination, Neo-colonization, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenization, norms, values, re-abstraction, reconstruction and re-orientationAbstract
This paper is aimed at showcasing the importance of decolonization of social work as a strategy for effective and efficient indigenous social work practice in Nigeria. This study sees the continuous dependence and utilization of alien theories, paradigms, perspectives, and methods constructed or developed predominantly with little or no consideration of the multi-cultural context of the practice field in Nigeria as alienate, thus neo-colonialization. It argues that colonization as a fact of ideas, not essentially of governance, is made possible through indoctrination. It sees western education: driven essentially by western based curricular, philosophies, theories, and methods as agents of neo-colonization. These, the paper argues, relegates, indigenous knowledge and demonizes indigenous cultural practices thus making it difficult, for effective, and fruitful social work practice in post-colonial multiethnic states such as Nigeria. The paper believes that even though indigenization of social work practice is a vital means to achieving a result-oriented practice, its potentials for absoluteness is limited by its dependence on nonindigenous theories, perspectives and methods for practice. A mental re-orientation on the reality of the multicultural practice field, with its accompanying diverse norms, values, language and worldview together with practical effort at re-abstraction, and reconstruction of the knowledge base of the practice through utilization of indigenous knowledge and methods is a way out of decolonization and a guarantee for a more effective, efficient and inclusive social work practice.Downloads
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