Flinders University: SOAD9102 - Decolonization of Social Work Essay

This essay examines the decolonization of social work in the context of Australia, focusing on the impact of colonialism and its perpetuation within the field. It explores how colonization and colonialism have affected the lives and livelihoods of First Nations Australians, analyzing the historical context and the ongoing effects of oppression. The essay reflects on the author's personal participation in the oppression of First Nations Australians and discusses the ways in which social workers have been complicit in this oppression. It further explores the concept of decolonization as a means of liberating First Nations peoples, emphasizing the need for social workers to understand and address the systemic issues of racial discrimination and economic and societal oppression. The conclusion underscores the importance of social workers promoting self-worth and advocating for the rights of indigenous populations through decolonization.

Running head: DECOLONIZATION OF SOCIAL WORK
Decolonization of social work
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Impact of colonization and colonialism upon First Nations Australians.........................................2
My participation in the oppression of the First Nations Australians...............................................3
Ways in which the social workers have been complicit in the oppression......................................3
Contribution to the liberation of First Nations Peoples through decolonization.............................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
References:......................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The nature of colonization has changed the entire world structure to a significant extent.
Individuals all around the globe are highly influenced by the various sociological implications
that were brought about during colonization (Morley & Ife, 2002). One of the unique features
about this period is that its elements have continued to remain in existence even in the globalized
and liberalized world of today. The purpose of this paper is to understand the perpetuation of
such colonization within the field of social work and how it has affected the lives and the
livelihood of the indigenous population of Australia.
Impact of colonization and colonialism upon First Nations Australians
In order to understand the impact of colonization and colonialism upon First Nations
Australians there is first the need to understand the meaning of colonialism. During the fifteenth
century, the advanced nation states of the world, primarily hailing from the western European
continent, tried to expand their market operations to the rest of the world. Their primary motive
was to attain more financial resources by the way of a higher profit margin. They were
successful in their attempts by colonizing the under developed regions of the world, primarily
situated in the eastern hemisphere and southern hemisphere (Crenshaw, 1991).
However, in this context, it needs to be understood that the imperial masters justified
their colonization on the fact that the indigenous population of the colonized countries were
uncivilized to properly rule over themselves. This is the reason why they could not form a formal
civilization and hence, needed the support and aid of the colonizing masters to establish a
peaceful society. The blow to the self-respect and dignity of the indigenous population of the

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colonized world has perpetuated over the years and have only strengthened in the modern time
period (Brook, 2009).
My participation in the oppression of the First Nations Australians
Being from the mainstream population of Australia, I have unintentionally benefitted
from the oppression of the indigenous First Nations Australians, especially those hailing from the
Torres Strait Island. I belong to an affluent family of Queensland and have been enrolled in one
of the premier educational institutions of the country. We are required to speak in English while
being within the school premises. However, there are some students who come from the Torres
Strait Island and they face a difficulty in speaking the language of English. They are more
comfortable in their native tongue which poses a challenge to the teachers as they cannot teach in
a bilingual method within the class rooms (Ife, 2010). Instead of understanding and empathizing
with the challenges faced by such indigenous students, I had turned a blind eye to their problems.
I did not help them to learn English and neither provided any kind of support in their learning
experience. Thus, even though I was not a direct participant in their oppression, the preconceived
notions of prejudices which exists in me regarding the lower status of the indigenous population
of Australia, prevented me from becoming a better person and helping them (Mullaly, 2010).
Ways in which the social workers have been complicit in the oppression
The social workers have the important responsibility of ensuring the well-being of the
individuals living in a society, particularly the vulnerable people (Muller, 2007). In the
conduction of their work, they are required to adhere to some values and remain impartial in the
prejudices they might hold. The main objective of the social workers is to eradicate the
prevailing social evils which may exist in the form of gender discrimination in the society,

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saving individuals from domestic violence and ensuring that the basic subsistence of the people
are met (Davis, 2008).
However, in the real life situation, it can be observed that the social workers hold certain
prejudices which may be subconscious in nature. The colonial oppression of the indigenous
people in a significant example of this. The social workers are found to be ignorant of the
secondary wants of the indigenous population by the way of a healthy standard of living and
respect from the other individuals of the society (Bennett, B., Zubrzycki & Bacon, 2011).
In this context, in order to ensure the well-being of the indigenous population of
Australia, there is the need to ensure that the social workers who work alongside them are well-
versed in their needs and aspirations. They must hold the same values and culture so that they
can establish a close and informal relationship with the marginalized population (Brook, 2009).
Contribution to the liberation of First Nations Peoples through decolonization
In order to liberate the indigenous population of Australia, there is the need to decolonize
the field of social work first (Coates & Hetherington, 2016). The aspect of decolonization means
to accept that certain sections of the population are still facing the brunt of colonial ideology
which means that they are being racially discriminated against and under the economic and
societal oppression of the ones who are superior to them in the community (Hölscher &
Chiumbu, 2020). The social workers need to identify such elements and work for their
eradication and immediate mitigation (Sewpaul & Henrickson, 2019). It is only through the
examination and perpetual aid of the social workers that the lives of the indigenous population
would be turned for the better (Coates & Hetherington, 2016).

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Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be observed that during the period of colonization, the self-worth of
the indigenous populations around the world were severely affected. Their ability to govern
themselves was questioned and their rights were abridged. In order to ensure their well-being in
the modern society, the social workers should work to promote their self-worth and motivate
themselves to stand up for their own rights. This can be brought about with the help of
decolonization.

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References:
Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., & Bacon, V. (2011). What do we know? The experiences of social
workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work, 64(1), 20-37.
Brook, H. (2009). Dark tourism. Law Text Culture, 13, 260-272.
Coates, J., & Hetherington, T. (2016). Decolonizing social work. Routledge.
Coates, J., & Hetherington, T. (2016). Indigenization, Indigenous Social Work and
Decolonization: Mapping the Theoretical Terrain. In Decolonizing Social Work (pp. 51-
68). Routledge.
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence
against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299.
Davis, K. (2008). Intersectionality as buzzword: A sociology of science perspective on what
makes a feminist theory successful. Feminist Theory, 9(1), 67-85.
Hölscher, D., & Chiumbu, S. (2020). Anti-oppressive Community Work Practice and the
Decolonization Debate: A Contribution from the Global South. Community Practice and
Social Development in Social Work, 1-20.
Ife, J. (2010). Human rights from below: Achieving rights through community development.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Morley, L., & Ife, J. (2002). Social work and a love of humanity. Australian Social Work, 55(1),
69-77.

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Mullaly, R. (2010). Challenging oppression and confronting privilege: A critical social work
approach (2nd ed.). Don Mills, Ont: Oxford University Press.
Muller, L. (2007). De-colonisation: Reflections and implications for social work practice.
Communities, Children and Families Australia, 3(1), 79-86.
Sewpaul, V., & Henrickson, M. (2019). The (r) evolution and decolonization of social work
ethics: The Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles. International Social
Work, 62(6), 1469-1481.