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Post by Kiwi Frontline on Dec 14, 2019 3:45:35 GMT 12
CALL FOR SOCIAL WORK TO BE 'DECOLONISED'A Massey University researcher is calling for social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand to be decolonised. Social work lecturer Dr Paulè Ruwhiu, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, has just completed her PhD research into the process of decolonisation and the experiences of Māori social workers and Māori social work students. Dr Ruwhiu says current programmes focus on western models, with Māori content as a curriculum add-on. “I’ve got no problems teaching the western models, but I do have a problem when I can’t see my own culture in the courses delivered, particularly when social workers will go out to communities where the service users are mainly Māori and Pasifika.” She would like to see decolonisation topics, such as historical discourses, racism, privilege and cultural dominance, feature in degree courses so students can be aware of their own cultural positioning and how it affects the way they work with clients. She would also like to encourage Māori models of practice, Māori principles and experiential learning through noho marae. “What I found is that we are too busy talking about the impacts of colonisation, which creates a deficit focus for Māori as the oppressed, with an emphasis on how Māori can work with Pākehā, not the other way around.” She says Pākehā also need to face themselves and work through what their obligations and responsibilities are in Aotearoa New Zealand under te Tiriti o Waitangi...... www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=31D4D773-F8A2-477F-ACAE-37C0FA9E9700
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