Social Work in Africa

Book excerpt: Drawing on her experience as a social work instructor in Ghana and field research conducted for her doctoral thesis, author Linda Kreitzer addresses the history of social work in African countries, the hegemony of Western knowledge in the field, and the need for culturally and regionally informed teaching resources and programs. Guided by a strong sense of her limitations and responsibilities as a privileged outsider, Kreitzer utilizes Participatory Action Research methodology to move the topic of culturally relevant practises from rhetoric to demonstration. Social Work in Africa is intended as a framework for the creation of culturally relevant social work curricula in African countries and other contexts.