Multikulturele maatskaplike werk in Suid-Afrika: 'n evaluering van die kursus 'Inheemse maatskaplike werk' aan die PU vir CHO

Abstract

Since 1993 a course "Indigenous Social Work" has been offered at the Potchefstroom University of for Higher Education (PU for CHE). This course was developed after developmental research according to Thomas (Grinnell, 1981 :590-595) has been undertaken in the Department. This course has three divisions, namely welfare history and policy, socio-economic conditions and diversity education in social work. The ever-changing circumstances in South Africa, rapid technological development on the one hand and the culture of poverty on the other, and the fact that we live in a first and third world country, (while services are still delivered from a Western perspective), makes development necessary. It was anticipated that this study would bring forward some deficiencies in this course, upon which changes can be proposed. The main aim of this study has been to make suggestions to the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE regarding the course Indigenous Social Work. A further aim has been to indicate whether total or partial curriculum adaptations are necessary. The following objectives follow from these aims: - to utilise the developmental research model as an instrument In the evaluation of the course Indigenous Social Work and to come to suggestions for adaptation; - to formulate the present course in Indigenous Social Work as to evaluate it in accordance with the developmental research model of Thomas and to evaluate it with regard to the curriculum developmental model of Diamond; - to analyse and enunciate curriculum requirements and the curriculum development models in order to ascertain whether the course in Indigenous Social Work meets these requirements; - to analyse welfare history, policy, socio-economic conditions and diversity education in South Africa and to link these to the present course; - to investigate how the course in Indigenous Social Work compares with similar courses at other universities; - to gather the ideas of practising social workers in North West pertaining to the present applicability of social work education with regard to multicultural service delivery as taught at the PU for CHE; - to present suggestions for course and curriculum changes to the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE, and - to come to summarised conclusions and suggestions. These aims and objectives were successfully achieved after a thorough literature and empirical study was undertaken of the developmental research model of Thomas, curriculum requirements, curriculum development models, welfare history, policy, socio-economic conditions and diversity education in South Africa. The course was then discussed and evaluated according to the developmental research design of Thomas, evaluated according to the curriculum requirements of the curriculum developmental model of Diamond as well as the empirical data collected from the university staff of different social work departments at universities and social workers in practice in the North West. After this has been completed suggestions for course and curriculum changes were suggested in Chapter 8. The most important findings of this study were the following: - The curriculum of the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE correlate well with regard to the aspects investigated, with those of the other universities. - The changes made in 1993 by the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE were in line with the needs of social workers in practice in the North West. - Relevant suggestions came forward from both questionnaires of which the findings in how the curriculum should be structured, differ from the model that the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE is following. The biggest percentage for both groups was in favour of an integrated approach, in which multicultural education should form part of all social work courses instead of being a separate course. It was suggested that a course on multicultural approaches in social work be implemented in the first year of study. This finding is supported by the researcher and apart from others it was suggested that the section on diversity education in social work should form part of the total curriculum whereas welfare history, policy and socio-economic conditions can be separate courses. This will prevent the impression that only the course in Indigenous Social Work is multicultural and not the rest of the content of the curriculum. Although the total curriculum of the Department of Social Work at the PU for CHE is culture - diversely orientated, it leaves the impression, for uninformed outsiders, that it is not. - It is suggested that the university should positively think about changing the order of education in the three primary methods in social work. It is suggested that the second year of theoretical education should start with community work and community development, followed by groupwork and then casework, instead of the traditional training where casework was the starting point. Further, it was suggested that the practicum curriculum should also be adjusted to make provision for community work practicals instead of casework. This adaptation in the curriculum will not only improve the education of social workers, but will also strengthen the fact that social workers are equipped to render community development services in the community at large. Educators in social work also need to become more involved in community development in the areas near the different universities.