Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education

Thembelihle Brenda Makhanya; Susan Levy

doi:10.4324/9781003314349-7

Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education

Thembelihle Brenda Makhanya
, Susan Levy

Education and Society

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

Coloniality, which symbolises the legacy of imperialism, remains vividly visible in African education. The curriculum content, languages, and traditions remain dominantly White and Western. Such outcries were exposed in student protests in South African higher education, such as #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall. Student movements have been calling for the uprooting of colonial practices in African universities and education. Social work education is not immune from such criticism since its professionalisation has been governed by the legacy of colonial structures, which created a lack of culturally relevant and inclusive education. This chapter unpacks a way forward through engaging with decolonial approaches that provide examples of ways to develop context-based social work. We present two pathways for developing culturally relevant social work education, focused on language and knowledge. Both demonstrate the role of pedagogy in decolonising and achieving change: (1) translanguaging and the use of African languages in social work education; (2) epistemic injustice, experiential knowledge, and epistemological access in social work education. Ikholoniyalithi ekhombisa ukusalela kokubuswa amanye amazwe ibonakala ngokucacile kwimfundo yase Afrika.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education
Editors	Susan Levy, Uzoma Odera Okoye, Pius T. Tanga, Richard Ingram
Publisher	Routledge
Chapter	5
Pages	62-73
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Electronic)	9781040029268
ISBN (Print)	9781032322957
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003314349-7
Publication status	Published - 2024

Publication series

Name	Routledge International Handbooks

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 4 Quality Education

Keywords

social work
culturally relevant education
translanguaging
knowledge
South Africa

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences
General Arts and Humanities
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Access to Document

10.4324/9781003314349-7

Cite this

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title = "Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education",

abstract = "Coloniality, which symbolises the legacy of imperialism, remains vividly visible in African education. The curriculum content, languages, and traditions remain dominantly White and Western. Such outcries were exposed in student protests in South African higher education, such as \#FeesMustFall and \#RhodesMustFall. Student movements have been calling for the uprooting of colonial practices in African universities and education. Social work education is not immune from such criticism since its professionalisation has been governed by the legacy of colonial structures, which created a lack of culturally relevant and inclusive education. This chapter unpacks a way forward through engaging with decolonial approaches that provide examples of ways to develop context-based social work. We present two pathways for developing culturally relevant social work education, focused on language and knowledge. Both demonstrate the role of pedagogy in decolonising and achieving change: (1) translanguaging and the use of African languages in social work education; (2) epistemic injustice, experiential knowledge, and epistemological access in social work education. Ikholoniyalithi ekhombisa ukusalela kokubuswa amanye amazwe ibonakala ngokucacile kwimfundo yase Afrika.",

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series = "Routledge International Handbooks",

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Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education. / Makhanya, Thembelihle Brenda; Levy, Susan.
Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education. ed. / Susan Levy; Uzoma Odera Okoye; Pius T. Tanga; Richard Ingram. Routledge, 2024. p. 62-73 (Routledge International Handbooks).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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Translanguaging and Pedagogic Pathways to Culturally Relevant Social Work Education

Abstract

Publication series

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Complexities Involved in Establishing a Culturally Relevant Social Work Curriculum in Nigeria

Introduction

The Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education

Cite this