This article was originally published as: Integrating African epistemologies in social work: The role of proverbs
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Abstract
The colonisation of Africa saw an onslaught of African ways of knowing and celebration of western epistemologies. During colonial and postcolonial eras, African indigenous knowledge systems have been decimated, trivialized, and received little to no attention in the education and professionalization of most disciplines. Therefore, what constitutes ‘basic knowledge’ in most disciplines has generally ignored traditional African knowledge systems despite their utility in specific contexts. Despite the call to decolonize social work, its education continues to be based on teaching content developed outside of Africa. The resources used in social work education are often informed by western epistemologies, though the decolonization process requires the development of approaches, perspectives, models, and theories that speak to African contexts. In this current paper, we argue that African proverbs that are central to African epistemologies can form a prominent jigsaw part in the knowledge base for decoloniality in social work. Very few scholars have studied the applicability of proverbs in the social work profession. These proverbs are found in almost all African languages and cultures, which makes it easy for social workers to apply them in their localities. During training, social workers should be taught to identify proverbs in local cultures and apply them in their professional practice. Such proverbs may guide the conduct and professional behaviour of social workers, their interaction with clients, as well as influencing techniques and approaches used in problem solving. There are innumerable proverbs found in the breath and width of Africa, and only a few will be selected to demonstrate their pertinence in social work practice. The proverbs help to promote contextualism in the practice of social work. They help promote good communication between social workers and clients, promote good moral and professional conduct, and respect for clients.
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Mabvurira, V. and Makhubele, J. (2024). Integrating African epistemologies in social work: The role of proverbs. African Journal of Social Work, 14(6), 321-327. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i6.3
Authors
- Vincent MABVURIRA (Community Psychosocial Research (COMPRES), North-West University, South Africa)
- Jabulani MAKHUBELE (Directorate of Research and Innovation, University of Venda, South Africa)
Keywords
African proverbs, indigenous social work, social work knowledge, Afrocentric social work, Afrocentric theory, African epistemologies
References
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