Fostering awareness of self in the education of social work students by means of critical reflectivity

Authors

  • Sandra Berna Ferreira Department of Social Work University of the Free State https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5220-8167
  • Regardt Jacobus Ferreira 1. Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, School of Social Work, University of Tulane, New Orleans, United States of America 2. Department of Social Work, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7047-9027

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15270/55-2-679

Keywords:

self, self-awareness, critical reflectivity, macro-conceptualisation, social work education, death and dying, African-centred world view

Abstract

Fostering awareness of self in the education of social work students has focused primarily on a micro-conceptualisation of the self, which implies that the attention was, and still is, mainly on the intrapsychic processes brought about by theory and field practicum. The main argument is that the self should also encompass a macro-conceptualisation, where students have to ask themselves how they contribute to the maintenance of societal structures and how these structures influence them in the forming of their assumptions and belief systems about the self and the world. Three categories of critical-reflectivity questions asked about a parable on death and dying in a class discussion can sensitise students about the self as a product and a co-creator of society in the grieving process. These questions furthermore resonate an African-centred world view in the understanding of the self.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Sandra Berna Ferreira, Department of Social Work University of the Free State

Dr Sandra B FerreiraDepartment of Social WorkUniversity of the Free StateBloemfontein9300

Regardt Jacobus Ferreira, 1. Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, School of Social Work, University of Tulane, New Orleans, United States of America 2. Department of Social Work, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

1. Director, Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy,2. Assistant Professor, Tulane School of Social Work, Tukane University, New Orleans, United States of America3. Research Fellow of the Department of Social Work, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

References

References

AKINTAYO, T., HÄMÄLÄINEN, J. & RISSANEN, S. 2016. Global standards and the realities of multiculturalism in social work curricula. International Social Work. DOI: 10.1177/0020872816648200

ASKELAND, G.A. & FOOK, J. 2009. Critical reflection in social work. European Journal of Social Work, 12(3):287-292. DOI: 10.1080/13691450903100851

BALDWIN, M. 1999. Use of self in therapy. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Haworth.

BALOYI, L. & MAKOBE-RABOTHATA, M. 2014. The African conception of death: A cultural implication. In JACKSON, L., MEIRING, D., VAN DE VIJVER, F. & INDEMUDIA, E. (eds). Toward sustainable development through nurturing diversity. International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. Cross-Cultural Psychology in the Rainbow Nation of Africa. Selected papers from the 21st International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

BARETTI, M. 2004. What do we know about the professional socialization of our students? Journal of Social Work Education, 40(2):255-283.

BARNARD, A. 2012. The self in social work. Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 15(3):101-118. DOI: 10.1921/095352212x655348

BARTKEVICIENE, A. 2014. Social work students’ experiences in ‘self’ and professional ‘self’’ awareness by using the art therapy method. European Scientific Journal, 10 (5):12-23.

CAMPBELL, C. & BAIKIE, G. 2012. Beginning at the beginning: An exploration of critical social work. Critical Social Work, 13(1):67-81.

CHE (Council on Higher Education). 2015. Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework. Qualification Standard for Bachelor of Social Work. May 2015. Pretoria, South Africa: CHE.

COPELAND, S. & OLIPHANT, E. 2014. BSW students’ personal reflection and self-correction: Teaching implications. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology, 4(3):45-53.

DETTLAFF, A.J., MOORE, L.S. & DIETZ, T.J. 2006. Personality type preferences of social work students. The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 11(2):88-101.

DEVORE, W. & SCHLESINGER, E.G. 1996. Ethnic-sensitive social work practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

DEWANE, C.J. 2006. Use of self: A premier revisited. Clinical Social Work Journal, 34(4):543-558. DOI: 10.1007/s10615-005-0021-5

DOMINELLI, L. 2009. Anti-oppressive practice: The challenges of the twenty-first century. In ADAMS, R., DOMINELLI, L. & PAYNE, M. (eds) Social work: Themes, issues and critical debates. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan (pp. 49-64).

EKORE, R.I & LANRE-ABASS, B. 2016. African culture concept of death and the idea of advance care directives. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 22(4):369-372.

FERGUSON, H. 2013. Anthony Giddens. In GRAY, M. & WEBB, S.A. (eds) Social work theories and methods. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (pp. 25-35).

FOOK, J. 1993. Radical casework: A theory of practice. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.

FOOK, J. 2006. Beyond reflective practice: Reworking the ‘critical’ in critical reflection. Keynote for: Professional lifelong learning: Beyond reflective practice, 3 July 2006. 36th Annual SCUTREA Conference Inter-Cultural Perspectives on Research into Adult Learning. Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults. University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.

FOOK, J. 2015. Reflective practice and critical reflection. In LISHMAN, J. (ed.) Handbook for practice learning in social work and social care: Knowledge and theory. 3rd ed. London, United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsley.

FOOK, J. 2016. Social work: A critical approach to practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

FOOK, J. & GARDNER, F. 2007. Practising critical reflection: A resource handbook. Berkshire, England: McGraw Hill, Open University Press.

FOOK, J. & GARDNER, F. 2013. Critical reflection in context. London, England: Routledge.

GIDDENS, A. 1984. The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

GRAY, M., KREITZER, L. & MUPEDZISWA, R. 2014. The enduring relevance of indigenisation in African social work: A critical reflection on ASWEA’s legacy. Ethics and Social Welfare, 8(2):101-116.

HARRIS, M.S. 1997. Developing self-awareness/racial identity with graduate social work students. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 67(3):587-607.

HEALY, K. 2000. Social work practices: Contemporary perspectives on change. London, United Kingdom: Sage.

HEALY, K. 2001. Participatory action research and social work: A critical appraisal. International Social Work, 44(1):93–105.

HEALY, K. 2014. Social work theories in context – creating frameworks for practice. 2nd ed. London, UK: Palgrave MacMillan Education.

HEYDT, M.J. & SHERMAN, N.E. 2005. Conscious use of self: Tuning the instrument of social work practice with cultural competence. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 10(2):25-40.

HICKSON, H. 2011. Critical reflection: Reflecting on learning to be reflective. Reflective Practice, 12(6):829-839.

HODGSON, D. & WATTS, L. 2017. Key concepts and theory in social work. London: Macmillan Education, Palgrave.

HORNER, N. 2012. What is social work? Context and perspectives. 4th ed. London: Sage.

KALISH, R.A. 1985. Death, grief, and caring relationships. 2nd ed. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.

KAUSHIK, A. 2017. Use of self in social work: Rhetoric or reality. Journal of social work values and ethics, 14(1):21-29.

KONDRAT, M.E. 1999. Who is the ‘self’ in self-aware: Professional self-awareness from a critical theory perspective. Social Service Review, 12 (4):451-477.

LEE, P. & KENWORTHY, M. 1929. Mental hygiene and social work. New York, NY: Commonwealth Fund.

LEGRAIN, L., CLEEREMANS, A. & DESTREBECQZ, A. 2011. Distinguishing three levels in explicit self-awareness. Consciousness and Cognition, 20 (2011):578-585.

LISHMAN, J. 2009.Personal and professional development. In ADAMS, R.,

DOMINELLI, L. & PAYNE, M. (eds) Social work – themes, issues, and critical debates. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan (pp. 370-385).

LOCKE, D.C. 1986. Increasing multicultural understanding. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

LONG, S.K.W. 2005. ‘Decolonialism’ and the counselling profession: The Aotearoa/New Zealand experience. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 4(4):557-572).

MABVURIRA, V. 2018. Making sense of African thought in social work practice in Zimbabwe: Towards professional decolonisation. International Social Work. DOI.org/10.1177/0020872818797997

MARLOWE, J.M., APPLETON, C., CHINNERY, S. & VAN STRATUM, S. 2015. The integration of personal and professional selves: Developing students’ critical awareness in social work practice. Social Work Education: The International Journal, 34(1):60-73.

MBITI, J. 1970. African religions and philosophy. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.

MEEK, H.W. 2005. Promoting self-awareness. Infant observation training as a model. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 75 (3):33-58.

MORIN, A. 2011. Self-awareness. Part I: Definitions, measures, effects, functions, and antecedents. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(10):807-823.

PAYNE, M. 2014. Modern social work theory. 4th ed. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.

SANDS, R. 1996. The elusiveness of identity in social work practice with women: a postmodern feminist perspective. Clinical Social Work, 24(2):167-186.

SODOWSKY, G.R., KWAN, K-L.K. & PANNU, R. (1995). Ethnic identity of Asians in the United States. In PONTEROTTO, J.G., CASAS, J.M., SUZUKI, L.A. & ALEXANDER, C.M. (eds) Handbook of multicultural counselling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (pp. 123-154).

SPECHT, H. & COURTNEY, M. 1994. Unfaithful angels: How social work has abandoned its mission. New York, NY: Free Press.

URDANG, E. 2010. Awareness of self – a critical tool. Social Work Education, 29 (5):523-538. DOI: 10.1080/02615470903164950

WALTERS, H.B. 2008. Field placement: An introduction to the ‘use of self’ in field placement. The New Social Worker: The Social Work Careers Magazine, 15(4):8-11.

YIP, K-s. 2006. Self-reflection in reflective practice: A note of caution. British Journal of Social Work, 36(5):777-788. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bch323

Downloads

Published

2019-07-15

How to Cite

Ferreira, S. B., & Ferreira, R. J. (2019). Fostering awareness of self in the education of social work students by means of critical reflectivity. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 55(2), 119. https://doi.org/10.15270/55-2-679

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.