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Group work anthology: A free resource for busy practitioners, students, volunteers and academics

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Group work anthology: A free resource for busy practitioners, students, volunteers and academics

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Group work anthology – Simple Book Publishing

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This student, industry and university co-designed anthology is a professional development resource for busy practitioners who are new to group work or growing their skills, as well as students, volunteers and academics searching for ideas. The book complements existing group work texts and other scholarship. It reflects the authors’ engagement with group work theory and shares the activities they designed in their group work workshop.

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Save the Date Embedding Inclusion Conference April 29th updated 03.12 

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The MANDELA model of practice learning: Prof Prospera Tedam

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The MANDELA model of practice learning: Prof Prospera Tedam

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Critical Theory for Social Work Online Resources - Dr Joe Whelan

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Critical Theory for Social Work Online Resources - Dr Joe Whelan

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The materials available on the companion website are designed for instructors to make the text easy to adopt as a core text for teaching social work students about critical social theory. The book and accompanying materials are designed to be accessible and used across jurisdictions, so please feel free to share widely.

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Critical theory for social work online resources

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Free Webinar Thursday 28th November 9.30 - 11

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Free Webinar Thursday 28th November 9.30 - 11

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Responding Effectively to Coercive Control in Child Protection

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Mental Health & Homelessness (PSI Autumn Winter Free Public Lecture) This year’s Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) Autumn Winter free public lecture series kicks off, Thursday 10 October via Zoom, from 7 – 8pm to mark World Mental Health Day and World Homeless Day. 

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Mental Health & Homelessness (PSI Autumn Winter Free Public Lecture) This year’s Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) Autumn Winter free public lecture series kicks off, Thursday 10 October via Zoom, from 7 – 8pm to mark World Mental Health Day and World Homeless Day. 

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Mental Health and Homelessness (PSI Autumn Winter Free Public Lecture Series) | Event | PSI

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To launch this year’s Autumn Winter Free Public Lecture Series, the PSI is delighted to present ‘Mental Health and Homelessness’. This free public event will ma…

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UCC School of Applied Psychology Monday 14th October at 1pm

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UCC School of Applied Psychology Monday 14th October at 1pm

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Join on Teams here

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Monday 25th November 2024, 1-2 pm. Click on the read more button to find out more about this free webinar. Click on the button a the top of the page or here to register.

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Monday 25th November 2024, 1-2 pm. Click on the read more button to find out more about this free webinar. Click on the button a the top of the page or here to register.

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Webinar #8: Identifying loneliness through technology: what does this mean for Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people? | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland’s first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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POSTER Celebrating 20 years of social work education at UG & book launch, 4.30pm Monday 14 October 2024

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Critical perspectives conference 8 & 9 November- final call for abstracts and registration details

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Registration open and final call for abstracts - critical perspectives conference UCC Cork November 2024

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Chapter 21 Older people and access to justice
Joe Duffy, Katherine C. Pearson and Subhajit Basu

36 Older people and human rights violations in relation to the COVID-19
pandemic: the role of ageism and the case of care homes
Sarah Donnelly and Alisoun Milne

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Research Handbook on Law_Westwood and Knauer flier

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Child Welfare and Alternative Care Thursday 5 September 

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The School of Applied Psychology, UCC in collaboration with community partners will shine a light on drug related bereavement for this year’s international overdose awareness day #IOAD. Senator Lynn Ruane will host a panel conversation followed by the launch of a research driven art piece by artist Spicebag. Join us in person in UCC or online on August 30th 11 to 1 (Aula Maxima) – registration essential via this link – and share this invite within your network

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Shining a Light on Drug Related Bereavement - Art Launch Invite 

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Shining a Light on Drug Related Bereavement - Art Launch Invite 

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Link to UCC Social Work Placement Forms 

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Link to UCC Social Work Placement Forms 

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Student Information | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland’s first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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All warmly invited to below event organised by Dr. Katharina Swirak Dept of Sociology and Criminology University College Cork 

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All warmly invited to below event organised by Dr. Katharina Swirak Dept of Sociology and Criminology University College Cork 

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We have some copies of Pat Sheedy's book in the Lowercase Bookshop if anyone wants to buy a copy ahead of the event.

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2024 International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare

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World Social Work Day: Social Workers for a Free Palestine - public online launch event, Tuesday 19 March at 19:00

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World Social Work Day: Social Workers for a Free Palestine - public online launch event, Tuesday 19 March at 19:00

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There can be no more fitting day than World Social Work Day for the UK inaugural public event of Social Workers for a Free Palestine, at a time when the International Court of Justice has declared plausible the accusations of genocide by Israel of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Social workers from Gaza have recently sent messages to their social worker colleagues around the world - some of which you can hear at this event - and they want and need us to act.

So please join us at a meeting when we will be unveiling the Social Workers' Pledge for Palestine, and at which you can hear directly from social workers from Palestine. We are also delighted and honoured that we will be joined by one of the greatest film-makers the UK has ever had, who has had such a positive impact on social work by highlighting the most pressing social issues of our times.

The event is supported by Unison Scotland Social Work Issues Group who organise regular lunchtime webinars on radical social work themes.

Our speakers will include -

Munther Amira, Palestinian human rights defender and a former General Secretary of the Palestinian Union of Social Workers. Munther has recently been released from prison, where he has been arbitrarily detained by Israeli forces since 18 December 2023, and we are very grateful that he will be joining us.

Raed Amira, Social worker and member of the Palestinian Union of Social Workers & Psychologists, Bethlehem

Ken Loach, film director and long standing supporter of the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice

Noor, Aida Youth Centre, Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem - who will tell us about the case of Anas Abu Srour, who is currently in Israeli administrative detention

Mick Bowman, retired social worker and Palestine solidarity activist, who walked to Palestine in 2023 as an act of solidarity and has recently returned to the UK

Naomi Junnor, UNISON Scotland: an experienced Glasgow Jewish social worker and former UNISON NEC member, who visited Palestine as part of an official trade union delegation in 2016 - an event she describes as transforming. She now campaigns vigerously against Zionism and for Palestinian self-determination

Please note that the Eventbrite ticket will not gain admission: you will be sent an MS Teams Link on the email address you provide. Any queries or issues please contact Irena Gil i.gil@unison.co.uk
THE EVENT IS FREE BUT WITH A LIMIT OF 250 PLACES. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND PLEASE CANCEL YOUR TICKET

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social workers for a free palestine uk - world social work day online event

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social workers for a free palestine uk - world social work day online event tickets

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Social Workers for a Free Palestine UK - World Social Work Day Online Event

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Eventbrite - Colin Turbett presents Social Workers for a Free Palestine UK - World Social Work Day Online Event - Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - Find event and ticket information.

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Webinar #7: Identifying loneliness through technology: what does this mean for Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people? Thurs 7th May 24, 1-2 pm

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Webinar #7: Identifying loneliness through technology: what does this mean for Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people? Thurs 7th May 24, 1-2 pm

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Webinar #7: Identifying loneliness through technology: what does this mean for Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people?

Thursday 7th May 2024, 1-2 pm. Click on the read more button to find out more about this free webinar. Click on the button a the top of the page or here to register.

Presenter: Professor Eleanor Bantry White, @UCCsocialwork. Click here to find out more about Eleanor's work.

Eleanor Rigby photo license CC-BY-NC 2.0 DEED. jcsullivan24 from Flickr.

While Eleanor Rigby's loneliness is portrayed by the onlooker and not be her, a very human story is created that contextualises loneliness within her biography, within a changing world. Similarly, through technology-identified loneliness, it is not the person that defines their own loneliness. But now, the human story is thinner; we know less about the world beyond the data used to create the models. This raises questions about the space to self-define experience, our capacity to empathise with experiences of loneliness, how we understand the sources of loneliness and thereby configure our responses. The webinar will explore these questions and consider their wider implications for social work practice.

For more on this story contact:

About this series: This free webinar series is run by Dr Kenneth Burns, @UCCsocialwork, University College Cork. The aim of the series is to support front-line practitioners and managers in social work practice, and community & voluntary services in Ireland. All are welcome to attend. @UCCsocialwork webinar convenor: Dr Kenneth Burns

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Webinar #7: Identifying loneliness through technology: what does this mean for Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people? | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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This lunchtime event will hear from two social workers.

Precious Matumba, Social Worker with Tusla, will speak about her experience of social work services having come to Ireland from Zimbabwe seeking international protection.

Riyad Arar, Palestinian social worker, will speak about his experience working as a social worker in Palestine.

Speaker Biographies
Riyad Arar
Riyad Arar has worked with Defense for Children International as the Program Manager for Child Protection and Participation for 19 years. Additionally, he has worked with the SOS Children's Villages organization for three years as a National Advisor for child safe guarding and family strengthening to mitigate the risk of separation. He currently works as the lead trainer in the Specialized Diploma for Child Protection at Bethlehem University. He continues to work at SOS Children's Villages and currently manages the PAL- UK Network for Social Workers.

Riyad and his son were arrested on October 25, 2023. Riyad underwent interrogation and torture for 18 days, and was then released. However, his son remains in prison, and Riyad has no information about him.
Precious Matumba
Precious is a social worker in Tusla, a university of sanctuary scholar, former teacher and mother of two. Precious is now settled in Ireland after going through the direct provision system and is passionate about advocating for asylum seekers and refugees.

World Social Work Day takes place on 19 March 2024. This year's theme is 'Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change', which is rooted in the Global Agenda and emphasises the need for social workers to adopt innovative, community-led approaches that are grounded in indigenous wisdom and harmonious coexistence with nature. The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) are delighted to launch the theme for the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development 2024: " Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change". The theme will also be presented at the 2024 World Conference on Social Work and Social Development in Panama.

This resonates with the contemporary challenges and aspirations of social work around the globe. Our world faces multifaceted crises, ranging from violent conflicts, environmental degradation, to persisting poverty and political disparities. Against this backdrop, social work must evolve and adopt innovative, transformative approaches that are community-led and steeped in indigenous wisdom. Central to this transformative change is the principle of "Buen Vivir", emphasizing that true well-being is achievable when communities live harmoniously with nature, striving collectively for balanced development.

This indigenous philosophy underscores the significance of interconnectivity, reciprocity, correspondence, and complementarity in human relationships and our bond with nature. Our goal is to champion this principle, fostering an eco-social world that thrives on inclusion, respect, mutual understanding, and the upholding of human rights.

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World Social Work Day - Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change

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This lunchtime event will hear from two social workers. Precious Matumba, Social Worker with Tusla, will speak about her experience of social work services having come to Ireland from Zimbabwe seeking international protection. Riyad Arar, Palestinian social worker, will speak about hi

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collective of researchers, activists and organisers working on and living in different parts of the island. Our interests are broad and the site will offer critical perspectives on a wide range of current socio-economic, political and environmental issues.

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Open Access article: discussion with students on placement re: issues related to ‘decolonisation’

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Open Access article: discussion with students on placement re: issues related to ‘decolonisation’

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Abstract

Introduction

This article focuses on the 'decolonial turn' that has arisen, especially within universities, in the past few years (see also Maldonado-Torres, 2011). Often prompted by the demands of minority ethnic and indigenous communities, many social work educators, have fruitfully begun to examine how hegemonic Western conceptualisations are inextricably enmeshed with historical and contemporary approaches to practice ( Gray et al., 2013; Baines et al., 2019; Kleibl et al., 2019). This development is significant and should begin to more meaningfully impact social work education and practice.

Clearly, the evolution of social work has largely been wedded to the ideologies and practices that constituted colonial modernity and potent residues continue to characterise contemporary aspects of social work education and practice ( Midgley and Piachaud, 2012). Moreover, it is vital to acknowledge the significance of the theorisation emerging from the global south and to be alert to the fact that socially progressive changes in the past few decades have mostly occurred in regions beyond the global north. The arrival of broadly Leftist governments in Latin America (particularly, in Bolivia, Venezuela and-more recently-Brazil, Chile and Colombia) have been significant and, to varying degrees, are impacting the evolution of social work ( Muñoz Arce, 2018).

I am not, of course, the first within the field of social work education in Europe who has addressed some of the themes to be discussed in this article ( Kleibl et al., 2019). What is more, my engagement is-at best-partial and tentative because a good deal of the relevant literature remains inaccessible to me because I am only able to read and write in English. Favoured by the global publishing industry and Western universities, my dull monolingualism is a facet of my privileged position and a luxury often unavailable to many of my colleagues writing in the global south (and, indeed, parts of the global north).

Turning to the organisation of the article, the initial focus is on decolonisation and political struggles for national self-determination. Often occluded in current debates on decolonising the university and its various disciplines, this section provides an important foundation for the rest of the article. Second, recent initiatives to decolonise academic curricula within a number of universities are briefly discussed ( Bhambra et al., 2018). Such efforts have often been intertwined with political activism and protests seeking the removal of, for example, statues and other symbols and artefacts seemingly either commemorating aspects of the colonial project or at least failing to challenge it. The third part of the article examines how 'Eurocentrism', viewed as a facet of colonial common sense, might be unpacked. Here, three iconic European thinkers whose work has impacted on social work education's engagement with social theory and philosophy are explored: Bauman, Agamben and Foucault. In the article's fourth part, attention is focused on ideas about 'coloniality' and 'decoloniality'. Finally, some of the challenges confronting efforts to decolonise curricula are examined. A number of key points are tentatively identified, and it is suggested that these may warrant further reflection if social work's knowledge base is to be fruitfully destabilised.

Decolonisation

What is to be understood by the word 'decolonisation'? Nowadays, often caricatured as a form of 'political correctness' or as an irritating effluence of contemporary 'wokeness', decolonisation stems from political struggles reaching far beyond attempts to reshape discourses inside of 21st-century universities. Anti-colonial insurgency frequently meant armed opposition to colonial power ( African Information Services, 1973). Often imbued or in dialogue with a Marxist interpretation of economic development, the aim of such struggles was not to return to some mythical 'pre-colonial past', but to shape an alternative modernity beyond the exploitative shackles of capitalist Empire ( Césaire, 2000[1950], p. 44).

Historically, decolonisation refers, therefore, to the termination of rule by a foreign and occupying power and the institution of a nation-state with the capacity to independently govern itself. Following a war of independence and/or political and diplomatic negotiations, such a process results in the transfer of power and the constitution of a new state with a measure of international recognition. However, this definition also obscures many complex questions. Do, for example, the rulers of the new state have democratic legitimacy? Is the word 'independence' materially accurate or does the new state and its people remain locked into exploitative relations of 'dependence' on the former colonial masters? Is the new state still subject to pernicious processes of extraction by the former colonial power? Despite rhetoric on equality, does the new state promote racist practices against some of its inhabitants? In the context of Africa, all of these were questions preoccupying Fanon (1989[1959]; see also Garrett, 2020a, b, 2021, Ch. 9).

Today, some observe how colonialist and extractive practices also continue to result in the academic dependency of the global south and the willed nurturing of a condition dubbed the 'captive mind' ( Alatas, 2003). Whilst the 'captive mind' idea has been subjected to criticism for potentially denuding scholars in the global south of agency, the main contention at the core of this notion is that our 'current phase of coloniality' does not pivot exclusively on the economic and military domination ( Meghji, 2021). Rather, there is a need to be alert also to how Western cultural forces actively intervene in the sphere of intellectual production to shore up its global hegemony.

Decolonising the university

A 'renewed interest in intellectual decolonisation can be traced back to two predominately student-led movements which appeared in 2014/2015- Rhodes Must Fall and Why Is My Curriculum White? - both of which challenged the legacy of colonialism within universities and provided a lexicon that stimulated conversations within and beyond academia' ( Moosavi, 2020, p. 33). The 'Rhodes' protest centred on the removal of a statue erected in 1934 at the University of Cape Town in the Republic of South Africa of John Rhodes (1853-1902)-British imperialist, mining magnate and former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony-whose memorialising symbolised the grim solidity of apartheid and white supremacy. Largely driven and energised by student activism, the 'Why Is My Curriculum White?' campaign to reform university curricula was originally associated with activities in London although it quickly spread to a number of other UK universities ( Salami, 2015). Notable in this regard were the events at Goldsmiths, University in London, in 2019. Then, Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action (GARA) ended a 137-day occupation of the local town hall after winning a series of 'landmark concessions' from university managers ( Pimblott, 2019, p. 210). GARA also worked hard to 'forge bonds of solidarity' and supported the demands of the university's 'predominantly black and minority ethnic cleaning and security crews who faced poor pay and working conditions as well as the threat of outsourcing' ( Pimblott, 2019, p. 210).

In her analysis of the impact of decolonising initiatives in universities, Priyamvada Gopal (2021, p. 876) astutely remarks that in its 'twenty-first century iteration in Britain and Europe, decolonisation as a cultural and educational imperative is a belated project, the line of influence, not for the first time, running from global south northwards'. For example, she highlights Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's classic Decolonising the Mind (1986) and the Kenyan's then controversial call, along with his colleagues, for the abolition of the 'English Department' at the University of Nairobi. This was a Marxist-inflected campaign that was part of a much more encompassing critique questioning the relevance of the teaching to African realities. Gopal also points out that more contemporary endeavours to decolonise in parts of Africa are often far from insular, single-issue endeavours with, in South Africa, student protesters bringing into their 'ambit not only questions of economic access (which found specific articulation in the parallel #Fees Must Fall movement) but also a living wage for campus workers and ending both corporatisation and outsourcing' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 876). Indeed, as mentioned, the campaign of GARA also highlighted a similar desire to address exploitative material conditions experienced by university support workers.

Many of the critiques of unquestioned colonial mind-sets emanate from sociology and social theory and these are significant because social work as a profession is informed by the thinking within these disciplines (see also Garrett, 2018a, b, 2021, 2024). As it is impossible to delve into the granular details of these often complex theoretical arguments, here the aim is simply to signal some of the emerging issues that relate to social work. Despite the caricature sometimes deployed as a screen discourse by the political right, those who can be dubbed 'decolonisers' within the university sector are not aiming to delete or 'cancel' canonical, white, male authors from the curricula. Rather, decolonising moves 'signify the process through which a body of knowledge...is liberated from received wisdom and reconstituted on new terms' (Kenny in Nic Dháibhéid et al., 2022, p. 307).

Despite the rather belated arrival of debates and actions centred on the decolonisation of universities in Europe, these are of progressive significance and potentially represent substantial challenges to institutionalised ideologies and common sense ( Hoare and Smith, 2005). Incorporating a range of sources and perceptions from beyond the global north is 'important both for its own sake and for pedagogical and intellectual reasons' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 877). This is because a 'largely white or largely male curriculum is not politically incorrect, as is often believed, but intellectually unsound. Monocultures do not produce good thinking' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 878). Any institution, social work focused or otherwise, in the 'business of gathering, producing and disseminating knowledge is called upon to understand how it has constituted itself as well as the materials and methodologies it works with' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 878). In this context, one reason for the unfolding of the decolonising agenda relates to the 'slow but increasing diversification of student bodies and the emergence of a generation of students willing to ask questions about the provenance of their curricula-"Why is My Curriculum White?"-and demanding that the more egregious absences of non-white voices and other lacunae in knowledge be redressed' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 877).

Given the social and economic context in which the decolonising discourse is evolving, it is also important to be alert to how an acknowledgement of this decolonising critique might gel with the agenda of university 'managers' who are frequently more preoccupied with 'market segment satisfaction' than they are with any pressing 'intellectual imperative' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 877). Not infrequently, senior managerial tiers within neoliberalised corporate universities tend to favour rather airy ideas circulating around 'diversity'. However, 'diversity' is not the same as 'decolonising' and-even worse-it can function to 'militate against it if all it generates is a glib pluralism that allows the centre, and its attendant orthodoxies, to remain unchallenged and unchanged' ( Gopal, 2021, p. 877). On this point, and implicitly recognising the potential pitfalls of a new form of common sense emerging, Angela Davis, asserts that 'diversity' is merely a 'corporate strategy...designed to ensure that the institution functions in the same way that it functioned as before, except now that you have some black-faces and brown faces. It's the difference that doesn't make a difference' (in Islam, 2021, p. 36, emphasis added). In Latin America this interpretation also relates to what Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui (2020[2010], p. 57) terms the gatapardismo [the policy of changing everything so that everything remains the same].

Eurocentrism

A contrary argument maintains that 'Enlightenment thinkers invented the critique of Eurocentrism and were the first to attack colonialism, on the basis of universalist ideas' ( Neiman, 2023, p. 32, original emphasis). According to this reading, the Enlightenment was path breaking in 'rejecting Eurocentrism and urging Europeans to examine themselves from the rest of the world' ( Neiman, 2023, p. 37). Neiman (2023, p. 36) concludes that there are 'few charges more bewildering than the claim that the Enlightenment was Eurocentric'. In marshalling her case, she refers to certain statements made by iconic Enlightenment figures such as Diderot, Rousseau and Kant. Even so, Neiman's 'case' is far from convincing because she arguably tends to 'cherry-pick' quotes from figures such as Kant in order to cast them in a more favourable light. Nevertheless, her contribution is not to be summarily dismissed because she hints at the dangers, perhaps present in some facets of the 'decolonising' agenda, of unthinkingly damning the Enlightenment in its entirety.

In a contrasting argument, Hall is categorical that the 'West and the rest', are 'produced by the West' (in Meghji, 2021, p. 31). For example, seminal and canonical theorists, such as Max Weber, helped shape perceptions, despite evidence to the contrary, that critical or 'scientific' thought was dormant in the supposedly stagnant societies in the East ( Meghji, 2021). One core aspect of the decolonising agenda is a critique of the dominant tendency to regard what may be specifically Western as being universally applicable. Important here are epistemes: those ways of thinking and knowing that 'set the limits of what can be known, as well as dictating what counts as legitimate knowledge and how this knowledge can be legitimately produced' ( Meghji, 2021, p. 3). Building on this foundational analysis, Meghji (2021, p. 3) argues that when 'speaking of colonial episteme' he is referring to 'dominant ways of thinking and knowing that produced and reproduced colonial difference: the idea that the colonized were inherently different (and inferior to)' the Western colonisers. This pervasive 'myth of colonial difference' was the 'central epistemological, ontological scheme that allowed empires to construe the rest of the world as "backward" and uncivilized, in need of colonial intervention' ( Meghji, 2021, p. 21). This can also be related to the epistemic injustice and the exclusion of the knowledge of subjugated peoples. As Maldonado-Torres (2007, p. 243) maintains 'intersubjective relations' help to constitute 'coloniality' and, given the centrality of such relations to social work praxis, this is important. Helping to bolster the doxic knowledge of the coloniser, social workers were often cast as civilising agents whose professional and moral duty was to mould the lives of the colonised according to the norms established by the colonisers ( Midgley, 1981; Midgley and Piachaud, 2012). Even today, these historical factors shape the contemporary politics of asylum ( Humphris, 2022) and adversely impact on, at the micro level, social work practices in relation to immigration and asylum where practitioners are increasingly functioning as 'border guards' ( Farmer, 2021, p. 3302).

Social work disciplinary scholarship has brought the work of iconic European figures, such as Zygmunt Bauman, Giorgio Agamben and Michel Foucault into conversation with some of the profession's core concerns. Without necessarily agreeing with central aspects of their theorisation, all have, to differing degrees, prompted reflection on themes related to, for example, ethics, the evolution of modernity, power relations and biopolitics ( Smith, 2011; Peters, 2012; Webb, 2019; Burrows, 2022 and Chambon et al., 1999). However, the world evoked and depicted by such thinkers is often far too culturally insular for their theories to be universally applicable. As the Indian historian Dipesh Chakrabarty (2000, p. xiii) cautions, perceptions and paradigms drawn from particular cultural, intellectual and historical traditions are likely to lack 'universal validity' even if such validity is implied. Abhijeet Mishra (2023a, b) has explored this dimension by dwelling on the history of social work education in India.

Partly stemming from their failure to examine the experience of the colonised, considerable gaps are apparent in the work of intellectuals such as Bauman, Agamben and Foucault. For example, Bauman's conceptualisation of 'solid modernity' and the Holocaust fails to engage with the colonial dimension (see also Garrett, 2012). Nevertheless, it was colonial societies and conflicts which provided the context in which concentration camps emerged as a 'novel form of political administration, population management, warfare, and coerced' labour ( Gilroy, 2000, p. 60). Césaire (2000[1950]) viewed Nazi fascism as 'a form of colonialism brought home to Europe' ( Young, 2001). Unfortunately, this dimension is occluded or arguably downplayed by Bauman in that he saw the Holocaust as a phenomenon generated by a 'European' bureaucratic rationality that the Nazis pushed to an extreme.

Walter Mignolo (2011a, p. 59) directs similar criticisms at what he describes as Agamben's 'late, regional, and limited' account of the transformation of human life into worthless and disposable material ( Agamben, 1998). The Italian philosopher identifies the Holocaust as the original blueprint for this process of dehumanisation which, Mignolo (2011a, p. 59) pointedly charges, is tantamount to ignoring 'four-hundred years of history' and failing to recognise the 'much longer chain of the disposability of human life'. Hence, 'the "bare life" that Agamben "discovered"...comes much later than what the Indians and the Blacks had already known since the sixteenth century' ( Mignolo, 2011a, p. 60). Agamben's philosophy on this theme is rooted in a certain 'blindness', leading to the 'construction of critical arguments based on the humiliation of the White man' ( Mignolo, 2011a, p. 60). In contrast, Mignolo and likeminded authors are committed to a decolonial approach which does not only pay attention to the 'horrors of the Holocaust', but connects it to an historical 'gestation in the sixteenth century' of the 'exploitation of Indians and Blacks in America and Africa, and also to Asian populations' ( Mignolo, 2011a, p. 60; see also Mignolo, 2011b). As Quijano (2007, pp. 169-70) observes, in Latin America, 'cultural repression and the colonisation of the imaginary were accompanied by a massive and gigantic extermination of the natives, mainly by their use as expendable labour force, in addition to the violence of the conquest and the diseases brought by Europeans...about 65 million inhabitants were exterminated in a period of less than 50 years'.

One of Foucault's main themes is, of course, the evolution of power relations across the centuries, yet his interpretation and associated conceptual tools are based on faulty foundations as they fail to consider the experience of the colonised. For example, in Discipline and Punish ( Foucault, 1991[1977]), he famously begins the book with the spectacular public execution of the Damiens who had attempted to murder King Louis XV in 1757. Foucault then moves on to argue that this form of punishment, rooted in sovereign and hierarchical power, was about to wane with more dispersed mechanisms of surveillance, regulation and punishment being adopted within emerging 'disciplinary' societies. This theorisation is very useful for critical social work in that it sheds light on how power can be exerted by a panoply of different professions each deploying specific brands of expertise. However, it disregards the fact that more brutal modes of state power did not simply dissolve with the execution of Damiens. Foucault, who lived and taught in Tunisia over the period 1966-1968, furnishes no theoretical or methodological justification for merely 'modelling his theory of power' exclusively on the West ( Meghji, 2021, p. 41). Writing in the late-1970s, he simply appears to assume that the European-in this case specifically the French experience-can be universally applied. Consequently, he produces a 'Eurocentric standpoint which offers, at best, a thoroughly obfuscated vision of social realities' ( Meghji, 2021, p. 41).

One of the most captivating sections of Discipline and Punish dwells on the evolution of practices of surveillance. However, Foucault's partly insightful perceptions are again undermined by his lack of engagement with the experience of the global south and particularly the plight of those enslaved (see also Garrett, 2019, 2020c). Simone Browne (2015, p. 42), for example, has 'complicated' Foucault's history of panopticism through 'the archive of slavery'. One fascinating layer of complication makes it apparent that 'the architectural design, registration, documentation, and examination at slave trafficking forts and ports' and on slave ships during the voyage from Africa to the auction blocks and plantations of the New World actually prefigure 'Bentham's design of the Panopticon and the seventeenth and eighteenth-century disciplinary institutions' that Foucault chose to concentrate on ( Browne, 2015, p. 42). That is to say, despite his purportedly painstaking archaeological and genealogical investigations, he fails to grasp that the modes of surveillance directed at enslaved bodies pre-dated and helped to constitute the panoptic forms that are supposedly central to his research project. Similarly in terms of Latin America, Enrico Dussel (2008) shows how the indigenous were historically subjected to incessant scrutiny and examination that pre-dated surveillance processes emerging in the prison and other institutions of confinement in France and elsewhere in Europe.

All of these observations and criticisms alert us to how relations of power play out more pervasively in our contemporary world. The flawed accounts of figures such as Bauman, Agamben and Foucault percolate into common sense and function to annul the experiences, both past and present, of racialised and subjugated populations. Writers, such as Césaire, Browne and Dussel, are also implicitly-and sometimes explicitly-encouraging us to observe and respond to how the state often disproportionately targets minority and indigenous populations today. This might be in terms of aggressive policing or-closer to social work-patterns of surveillance in relation to 'child protection' interventions with Black and other minority ethnic communities in the global north ( Marovatsanga and Garrett, 2022; see also Child Care Law Reporting Project, 2015, Dettlaff et al., 2020).

Coloniality and decoloniality

A significant insight provided by a number of those committed to analysing colonialism stresses the sheer durability after colonisation, for both the colonised and colonised, of the logics that evolved during the period of colonisation. This is not to argue or to imply that colonisation no longer occurs; Palestinians subject to the Zionist settler-colonisation project and apartheid in Israel and the Occupied Territories would certainly dispute such an assertion.

In this context, an important distinction can be made between 'colonialism' and 'decoloniality'. The former refers to a formal administration, involving the 'creation of an organisation controlled by members of the conquering polity and suited to rule over the conquered territory's indigenous population' (Steinmetz in Meghji, 2021, p. 21). Meghji (2021, p. 19) summarises that 'coloniality' is 'invoked in order for us to understand how the power relations born in colonialism outlived the demise of colonial administrations'. Thus, in temporal terms, these 'relations' stretch 'well beyond the strict limits of colonial administrations' in so far as 'coloniality survives colonialism' ( Maldonado-Torres, 2007, p. 243). Coloniality in this sense can be perceived as the 'most general form of domination in the world today, once colonialism as an explicit political order was destroyed' ( Quijano, 2007, p. 170). Indeed, Euro-centred 'coloniality of power has proved to be longer lasting' than Euro-centred colonialism ( Quijano, 2007, p. 171). Hence, one of the most potent myths of the 'twentieth century was the notion that the elimination of colonial administrations amounted to the decolonisation of the world. This led to the myth of a "postcolonial" world' ( Grosfoguel, 2007, p. 219).

As a conceptualisation, 'coloniality' has affinities with analyses of how 'neo-colonialism' and 'neo-imperialism' continue to adversely impact states that have officially achieved 'independence' ( Nkrumah, 1965). Often situated within Marxist analyses, the emphasis on the 'neo', highlights new or re-modelled forms of material exploitation and expropriation still to be eradicated. A formerly colonised country may now have its own flag, but within a global capitalist system it is now subservient, not to an Empire, but to, say, ExxonMobil or Goldman Sachs. Analyses of 'coloniality' aim to encompass often less tangible dynamics associated with the long-standing patterns of power that emerged as a result of colonialism. Important here are factors related to culture, affect, intersubjective relations and knowledge production ( Maldonado-Torres, 2007).

'Decoloniality' aims to articulate and erode dominant modes of thought and practice-what Gramscian approaches might term 'hegemonic' modes-that have become so embedded that they remain difficult to uproot even in, seemingly, (post)colonial societies. Grosfoguel (2007, p. 212) argues that there must be an acknowledgement of a number of interwoven factors. Slightly paraphrasing, he argues that:

A decolonial epistemic perspective requires a broader canon of thought than simply the Western canon (including the Left Western canon);

A truly universal decolonial perspective cannot be based on an abstract universal, but would have to be the result of the critical dialogue between diverse critical epistemic/ethical/political projects towards a pluriversal as oppose to a universal world;

Attentive to thinking emerging from subalternised racial/ethnic/sexual spaces and bodies, the decolonisation of knowledge would need to take seriously the epistemic perspective/cosmologies/insights of critical thinkers from the global south.

Epistemological projects, such as postmodernism and post-structuralism, are caught within the Western canon reproducing within its domains of thought and practice a coloniality of power/knowledge.

Discussion: social work at the 'decolonial turn'

The 'easy adoption of the language' of decolonisation within 'disciplines and institutions is no substitute for doing the work needed to effect both material and epistemological change' ( Bhambra, 2021, p. 75). Gopal (2021, p. 892) proposes, for example:

Opening pathways to dialogue-and mutually transformative engagement-between different cultures, traditions, and approaches to knowledge, bearing in mind structural disadvantages and historic power differentials. We might even call this process 'relinking'.

More recently, Moosavi (2020, pp. 43-48) makes a range of related arguments meriting reflection and consideration if meaningful attempts are to be made to decolonise universities and, indeed, social work approaches to knowledge and culture. Having drawn attention to a number of ordinarily side-lined theorists from the global south, he reminds us that 'intellectual decolonisation is not easy and perhaps not even possible' ( Moosavi, 2020, p. 341). In contemporary 'corporatised climates, academics are overburdened with a heavy workload which demands efficiency, impact and productivity against a backdrop which is characterised by excessive competitiveness, individualism, metrics and precarity' ( Moosavi, 2020, p. 343). Moreover, intellectual decolonisation should not 'essentialise nor appropriate' the global south. Thus, rather than 'essentialising' the global south, it should be understood that it is such a 'vastly diverse entity that it can never be said to have a single essence that can be discreetly conveyed' ( Moosavi, 2020, p. 344). This is an important point that alerts us not only to the dangers of essentialism, but of the need to always consider cultural plurality. For example, social workers in the global north, often encounter-and sometimes unthinkingly amplify-the misguided notion that parents from X region in the global south (usually Africa), will invariably rear their children in a specific way (usually harshly and being prone to swiftly resort to corporal punishment). An awareness of individual and community differences, within particular communities, is also aligned with intersectional approaches to identity and oppression ( Marovatsanga and Garrett, 2022).

Dawson's (2019) division of decolonial scholarship into 'substantive decolonisation' and 'decolonisation lite' may be useful yardstick helping us to assess decolonising initiatives: the former 'attempts to radically disrupt existing hierarchies' whilst the latter merely 'superficially claims to do the same' often under the banner of 'internationalisation' ( Moosavi, 2020, p. 348). Indeed, and as suggested earlier, 'decolonisation lite' has clear affinities with the corporate and managerial 'decolonisation' strategies. However, colonial common sense might also be challenged in more substantial ways in, and beyond, social work. Although mostly targeted at those studying and teaching in the discipline of sociology, Meghji (2021) provides an agenda that can be easily adapted and expanded-as I have tried to do below-to the field of social work. Table 1, therefore, provides a list of potential coordinates that educators, practitioners and students might consider.

Conclusion

Seeking to concisely cover a vast range of complex intellectual ground and aspiring to be a useful teaching aid, this article has outlined some of the themes relating to colonial common sense and efforts to challenge its hegemony. Historically contextualising the recent 'decolonial turn' within the university sector, the article traced it back to the political decolonisation and anti-colonial insurgency which, often rooted in-or in dialogue with-Marxism, took place mostly after the Second World War and resulted in the achievement of independence for many nations across the globe. There was also a discussion on key contemporary terms and concepts such as, Eurocentrism, coloniality and decoloniality and some of the challenges facing endeavours to decolonise academic 'fields'. A range of coordinates was tentatively identified which might be of significance for those seeking to erode colonial common sense across the field of social work.

References

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What are We Talking about When We are Talking about 'Decolonising' Social Work?

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This article explores the idea of 'decolonising' social work. It furnishes a lucid and accessible examination of complex theory and it illuminates the underlyin

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Information Webinar: Masters in Social Policy and Social Justice (Online) Saturday 2nd March, 9.30am

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Information Webinar: Masters in Social Policy and Social Justice (Online) Saturday 2nd March, 9.30am

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A new postgraduate programme at University College Cork (UCC) aims to equip students to become experts in social policy analysis, social research, and social justice leadership

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Eventbrite brings people together through live experiences. Discover events that match your passions, or create your own with online ticketing tools.

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Digital Inequalities and Adolescent Well-Being 

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Digital Inequalities and Adolescent Well-Being 

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Speaker: Prof. Pablo Gracia, Trinity College Dublin

Date and Time: 1pm, Monday 26th February

Link: http://tinyurl.com/4uk2pz2k

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Centre for Children's Rights and Family Law Lecture  - Gerison Lansdown - Tuesday 20th February at 4pm

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Centre for Children's Rights and Family Law Lecture  - Gerison Lansdown - Tuesday 20th February at 4pm

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The journey from reflection towards reflexivity

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Applied Psychology research seminar takes place Monday 19th February at 1pm. All welcome to attend online or in person in G20, CEC building. 

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Applied Psychology research seminar takes place Monday 19th February at 1pm. All welcome to attend online or in person in G20, CEC building. 

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Speaker:  Dr Sinéad Kelleher, School of Aplied Psychology, UCC

Date and Time:  1pm, Monday 19th February

Link:  http://tinyurl.com/4uk2pz2k

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Website of online resources and links to articles, videos from Dr Paul Michael Garrett described by the International Journal of Social Welfare, as 'probably the most important critical social work theorist in the English-speaking world'. He is the only Irish-based scholar to feature in a recent survey of the ‘top 100 most impactful global contributors to social work journal scholarship’, featuring in the top six highest-ranked social work scholars in Europe (Hodge and Turner, 'Who are the Top 100 Contributors to Social Work Journal Scholarship', Research on Social Work Practice)

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Webinar #6: Decision making, assessment and risk in social work Thursday 7th March 2024, 1-2pm. 

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Webinar #6: Decision making, assessment and risk in social work Thursday 7th March 2024, 1-2pm. 

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Presenter: Professor Brian Taylor, Ulster University, Northern Ireland

Find out more about his new co-edited book: The Sage Handbook of Decision Making, Assessment and Risk in Social Work (2023)

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Webinar #6: Decision making, assessment and risk in social work

Decision making, assessment and risk in social work
Thursday 7th March 2024, 1-2pm. Click on the read more button to find out more about this free webinar. Click on the button a the top of the page or here to register.

Presenter: Professor Brian Taylor, Ulster University, Northern Ireland

Find out more about his new co-edited book: The Sage Handbook of Decision Making, Assessment and Risk in Social Work (2023)

Bio and abstract to follow

For more on this story contact:

@UCCsocialwork webinar convenor: Dr Kenneth Burns

About this series: This free webinar series is run by Dr Kenneth Burns, @UCCsocialwork, University College Cork. The aim of the series is to support front-line practitioners and managers in social work practice, and community & voluntary services in Ireland. All are welcome to attend.

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Webinar #6: Decision making, assessment and risk in social work | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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@UCCsocialwork webinar, you can watch it back by clicking on the image below

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@UCCsocialwork webinar, you can watch it back by clicking on the image below

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Using TikTok to Engage Young People in Child Protection in Finland: The Sossut Project

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Click to watch (a new window will open).
Family homelessness in Ireland: causes, impacts & issues for practice
Monday 12th June, 1-2pm (online). Click read more to find out more about this free webinar and to register.

Presenter: Professor Cathal O'Connell, UCC

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UCCsocialwork Webinars | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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Psychological Characteristics of Death Anxiety, in non-clinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysisSpeaker:  Tadgh Connery, School of Applied Psychology, UCC

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Psychological Characteristics of Death Anxiety, in non-clinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysisSpeaker:  Tadgh Connery, School of Applied Psychology, UCC

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Research seminar takes place Monday 29th January at 1pm.

All welcome to attend online or in person in G20, CEC building.

Date and Time:  1pm, Monday 29th January

Link:  http://tinyurl.com/4uk2pz2k

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Cork Equal and Sustainable Communities Alliance 

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Cork Equal and Sustainable Communities Alliance 

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There will be three speakers, and these are their confirmed titles:

Allen Meagher, Changing Ireland "Advantages of Collaboration in Community Development"

Maria Young, Green Spaces for Health, "Let's Grow Together".

April Tambling , Scouting Ireland, " Youth Work Opens Doors"

I look forward to seeing you all there. Sarah

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Eventbrite - Cork Equal and Sustainable Communities Alliance presents Equality Day 2023 - Monday, 11 December 2023 at Nano Nagle Place, Cork, Cork. Find event and ticket information.

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Free CPD Thursday 7th December 2023, 4.00-5.15pm (GMT)

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Free CPD Thursday 7th December 2023, 4.00-5.15pm (GMT)

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Thursday 7th December 2023, 4.00-5.15pm (GMT)

Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner (University of Maryland), and Andrew Frederick Smith (Drexel University)

Climate Crisis as Relational Crisis: Centering Indigenous Feminist Conceptions of Responsibility in Environmental Discourse

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/yf8pppfc

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Webinar: children and young people's participation in child protection 

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Webinar: children and young people's participation in child protection 

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University of Galway, MSW, Models and Modes of Practice Teaching event 

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University of Galway, MSW, Models and Modes of Practice Teaching event 

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November 30th in the Connaught Hotel, Galway.

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This learning event, sponsored by the HSE HSCP National Office and hosted by University of Galway, Social Work, aims to explore models and modes of practice teaching that can inform our ongoing development of capacity and expertise in the social work education sector. We invite all of our colleagues involved in practice education, social workers, social work practice teachers, tutors, and managers to come learn with us about different models of practice teaching that can maximise our ability to provide this essential learning component for social work education. This learning event is part of wider efforts to build and grow capacity for practice teaching regionally and nationally in a way that values and recognises practice education and educators, explores different ways we can teach students in practice and consider new opportunities and challenges for practice teaching.

T﻿hemes to be covered will include the following:

Practice Learning in a Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities

Supervising and being supervised in diverse contexts

R﻿eflective Practice and Practice Education

Exploring models of practice learning including long-arm appraoches and Entrustable Professional Activities

S﻿peakers will include: Marguerita McGovern, Ruth Murray, Mary Griffin, Laura Loftus, Nisarg Nagwadia and other guests. Caroline McGregor and Eleanor Kelly will facilitate the learning event. A﻿ detailed agenda will be available with more details about the speakers and themes to follow.

H﻿OSTS: Social Work Programme, School of Political Science and Sociology, University of Galway

S﻿ponsors: HSE Health and Social Care Professionals National Office (HSCP)

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models and modes of practice teaching tickets

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models and modes of practice teaching galway

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models and modes of practice teaching galway tickets

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Eventbrite - Eleanor Kelly Social work University of Galway presents Models and Modes of Practice Teaching - Thursday, November 30, 2023 at Connaught Hotel, Galway, Galway. Find event and ticket information.

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UCC/HSE/ALONE SOUTH-EAST ADULT SAFEGUARDING CONFERENCEThe theme of this Adult Safeguarding Conference is "Good Choice, Bad Choice: My Choice" Practice Dilemnas in Current Adult Safeguarding

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UCC/HSE/ALONE SOUTH-EAST ADULT SAFEGUARDING CONFERENCEThe theme of this Adult Safeguarding Conference is "Good Choice, Bad Choice: My Choice" Practice Dilemnas in Current Adult Safeguarding

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FREE safeguarding conference 10 november

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Published research from UCC social work students 

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Published research from UCC social work students 

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IMMERSE H2020: Integration of Migrant Children in Education Conference   Dora Allman Room, The Hub Friday 15th September 2023, 9.45-3.00pm 

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IMMERSE H2020: Integration of Migrant Children in Education Conference   Dora Allman Room, The Hub Friday 15th September 2023, 9.45-3.00pm 

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Critical Perspectives on Learning from Mad Knowledge 

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Critical Perspectives on Learning from Mad Knowledge 

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Third Conference Announcement and Call for Abstracts

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Mental Health Stepped-Care Programme for Health Care Workers - Seminar - 4th September

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Mental Health Stepped-Care Programme for Health Care Workers - Seminar - 4th September

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You are invited to attend this seminar on Monday 4 th September from 12.30pm-13.15pm in WGB 4.05 or online via the Teams link here

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The Experience of Practice Teaching in Ireland Report 2023

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The Experience of Practice Teaching in Ireland Report 2023

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"Supporting the effective implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 in public healthcare settings" online seminar 

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"Supporting the effective implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 in public healthcare settings" online seminar 

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The PositivMasc research project, in conjunction with ISS21, will be hosting an online research launch event on Wednesday 30th August. Funded by EU GENDER-NET Plus, the project explores young people’s discourses and understandings of masculinities in seeking to address violence against women in Ireland. The report launch will be followed by a panel discussion. To register for the event, please go to the Eventbrite below. All welcome.

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The PositivMasc research project, in conjunction with ISS21, will be hosting an online research launch event on Wednesday 30th August. Funded by EU GENDER-NET Plus, the project explores young people’s discourses and understandings of masculinities in seeking to address violence against women in Ireland. The report launch will be followed by a panel discussion. To register for the event, please go to the Eventbrite below. All welcome.

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T﻿his event will launch the Irish findings of the EU GENDER-NET funded study PositivMasc (Positive Masculinities: Masculinities and violence against women among young people: Identifying discourses and developing strategies for change using a mixed method approach). Findings will be presented by the research team based in the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21) and School of Applied Social Studies, UCC, followed by a panel discussion.

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addressing masculinities to tackle violence against women in ireland

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addressing masculinities to tackle violence against women in ireland tickets

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Addressing masculinities to tackle violence against women in Ireland

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Eventbrite - Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21), UCC presents Addressing masculinities to tackle violence against women in Ireland - Wednesday, 30 August 2023 - Find event and ticket information.

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This is essential reading for the social work profession

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This is essential reading for the social work profession

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The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work, and Social Justice authored report, Pathways to Social Work - Surveying the Motivations and Challenges in Becoming a Social Worker, examines pathways into the social work profession. Where most research on this subject examine why students choose social work as a profession, this study is unique in the way it examines the barriers to students becoming social workers.

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Pathways to Social Work - Surveying the motivations and challenges in becoming a social worker

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The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work, and Social Justice authored report, Pathways to Social Work - Surveying the Motivations and Challenges in Becoming a Social Worker, examines pathways into the social work profession.

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9th National Child Protection and Welfare Social Work Conference (SWCONF23)UCC, 26- 27 October 2023

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9th National Child Protection and Welfare Social Work Conference (SWCONF23)UCC, 26- 27 October 2023

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9th National Child Protection and Welfare   Social Work Conference (SWCONF23)  University College Cork, 26 27 October 2023 9th National (SWCONF23) UCC 26- 27 October 2023

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Critical Perspectives 15 & 16 November UCC

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Critical Perspectives 15 & 16 November UCC

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IMMERSE H2020: Integration of Migrant Children in Education Conference UCC Centre for Executive Education, 1 Lavitt's Quay, Cork Friday 15th September 2023, 9.45-3.00pm

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IMMERSE H2020: Integration of Migrant Children in Education Conference UCC Centre for Executive Education, 1 Lavitt's Quay, Cork Friday 15th September 2023, 9.45-3.00pm

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“Safe Childhood, Secure Future” (Skivenes Report on the rule of law and child protection, Norway)

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“Safe Childhood, Secure Future” (Skivenes Report on the rule of law and child protection, Norway)

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“Safe Childhood, Secure Future” (Skivenes Report on the rule of law and child protection, Norway)

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UCC Social Work Webinar: Social media abuse and online harassment in social work and probation 

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UCC Social Work Webinar: Social media abuse and online harassment in social work and probation 

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Click to watch (a new window will open).
Family homelessness in Ireland: causes, impacts & issues for practice
Monday 12th June, 1-2pm (online). Click read more to find out more about this free webinar and to register.

Presenter: Professor Cathal O'Connell, UCC

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UCCsocialwork Webinars | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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UCC Social Work Webinar: Family homelessness in Ireland: causes, impacts & issues for practice

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UCC Social Work Webinar: Family homelessness in Ireland: causes, impacts & issues for practice

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Click to watch (a new window will open).
Family homelessness in Ireland: causes, impacts & issues for practice
Monday 12th June, 1-2pm (online). Click read more to find out more about this free webinar and to register.

Presenter: Professor Cathal O'Connell, UCC

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UCCsocialwork Webinars | University College Cork

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Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

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CPD event coorganised by Dr Eleanor Bantry White

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It’s Not The Behaviour That Is The Challenge: Reframing Language and Questioning Our Perspectives

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This CPD event has been created by the Social Workers in Disability (SWID) SIG of the IASW.
Participants will hear from Amanda Mc Guinness, Malcom “Mac” MacLachlan and Dr Toby Sachsenmaier.
Amanda will explore behaviour from a lived experience perspective. The presentation will ch

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Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the Republic of Ireland, this one-day conference will present a range of perspectives from various disciplines and contexts, including contributions by scholars and activists, as well as writers and artists.
9.15 - Opening Remarks 9.30 - History and the Archive
Orla Egan, Cork LGBT Archive , 'Decades of Activism prior to Decriminalization'

Han Tiernan, GCN Magazine

Mary McAuliffe, UCD , 'Gender and the LGBTI+ Archive: Researching Queer Femininities'
11.30 - Rights, Justice and the Law
Ivana Bacik, TCD , 'Legal History of LGBT rights activism in Ireland'

Kieran Rose, LGBT Rights Campaigner, 'Remarkable Journey: from Gay Law Reform to Equality legislation, Civil Partnership and Civil Marriage and full Constitutional equality'

Amanullah De Sondy, UCC , 'Sexual and Gender Liberation in Pakistan: An Inside or Outside Issue?'
14.00 - Media and Representation
Seán Kissane, IMMA , 'Art in the Closet: The Emergence of Queer Subjectivities in Irish Visual Art'

Páraic Kerrigan, UCD, #A Battleground for Social Change? Decriminalization, Media Visibility and Irish Queer Media Activism'

Anne Mulhall, UCD , 'Coming Out and Staying In'
16.00 - Writers Roundtable (in partnership with Poetry Ireland)
Mary Dorcey

Diarmuid Hester

Will Keohane

Gail McConnell

T﻿here are a limited number of in-person tickets available. The event is also going to be live streamed by GCN. To receive details of the live streaming, please sign up for online admission.

O﻿rganized by the School of English, Trinity College Dublin, with support from the Arts and Social Sciences Benefactions Fund and Poetry Ireland.

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decriminalization at 30 dublin 2 tickets

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Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the Republic of Ireland, this one-day conference will present a range of perspectives from various disciplines and contexts, including contributions by scholars and activists, as well as writers and artists.

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CLOSED Introduction to Practice Teaching Workshop 8th September 2023

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CLOSED Introduction to Practice Teaching Workshop 8th September 2023

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1. Continuing Professional Development

2. Browse CPD Options

3. CPD College of Arts, Celtic Studies, Social Sciences

4. CPD Applied Social Studies

5. CPD1617 Practice Teachers (Social Work)

About

Fact File

Outline
Friday, 2nd December 9.30 - 1pm (on-site) Self-directed Learning (3 hours) (off site)
This CPD workshop has been organised by the School of Applied Social Studies primarily for CORU registered social workers new to and interested in Practice Teaching. It would also be beneficial for social workers in the field who may not have supervised students on placement for some time and wish to have their skills in practice teaching refreshed and updated. There is an expectation that those attending will supervise a student on placement in 2023.

Practicalities

4 hours on campus attendance required

3 House Self Directed Learning

The programme is in two parts.

Part 1 is a half-day taught and experiential workshop that focuses on introducing an understanding of the purpose, task, theory, research and SWRB standards of proficiency for social work placement and practice teaching. It also includes reflective practice theory, practice teaching skills, and fieldwork research within the Irish context.

Part 2 Assignments Mandatory to receive certification

This involves a half day of self-directed learning. This will include engagement with online material and completion of assignments. These assignments include completing a learning quiz and reflective assignment.

Compulsory Elements: The structure involves a commitment to attend onsite from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and it is mandatory to complete all self-directed practical course work to receive CPD certification.

Requirements

Fees and Costs

€20

How Do I Apply

Applications can be made via the Apply Now link below

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CPD1617 Practice Teachers (Social Work) | University College Cork

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Continuing Professional Development Browse CPD Options CPD College of Arts, Celtic Studies, Social Sciences CPD Applied Social Studies CPD1617 Practice Teachers (Social Work) Friday, 2nd December 9.30 - 1pm (on-site) Self-directed Learning (3 hours) (off site) This CPD workshop has been organised by the School of Applied Social Studies primarily for CORU registered social workers new to and interested in Practice Teaching.

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Critical Perspectives on Learning from Mad Knowledge Conference UCC 15 & 16 November 2023

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Critical Perspectives on Learning from Mad Knowledge Conference UCC 15 & 16 November 2023

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‘CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING FROM MAD KNOWLEDGE’ 

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UCC contribution to RTÉ Brainstorm hones in on five skills new employees need to develop for career success. The article also features our podcast with Maeve O'Keefe, UCC BA Applied Psychology graduate, who discusses the importance of being socially responsible. 

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UCC contribution to RTÉ Brainstorm hones in on five skills new employees need to develop for career success. The article also features our podcast with Maeve O'Keefe, UCC BA Applied Psychology graduate, who discusses the importance of being socially responsible. 

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Analysis: we live in an era where squiggly careers are the norm so what are the important soft skills employers are looking for? By Maggie O'Sullivan, Clodagh O'Sullivan and Adel Coleman, UCC
Career progression has shifted on its head in recent years. Nowadays, the typical career path seems more squiggly than straight up. The realisation that careers can be flexible, approachable and satisfying is now at the forefront for both employees and employers. Squiggly careers means moving frequently and fluidly between roles, industries, locations, and careers, and is becoming the new normal. The ways we work now, the kinds of roles we have and the rate of change in the workplace have all contributed to this shift.

As a result, the need for transferable soft skills and people skills have never been more important. Soft skills are "a combination of interpersonal (people) skills and personal (career) attributes'. According to research, "85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills & people skills with 15% of job success coming from technical skills & knowledge (hard skills)".

This is further reinforced by a recent project undertaken by Abodoo, the UCC Graduate Attributes Programme and UCC Career Services to understand the university's impact on student employability and what employers needs. While a new employee may have a reputation for being the best coder, editor, or researcher on the planet, the research highlighted that it amounts to little if they don't work well with others.

While some of the most important soft and professional skills for workers and employers alike can't be measured on paper, they are crucial to the job search and overall careers. According to data, recruiters choose communication, empathy, sustainable skills, flexibility, and creativity as the most important soft skills they're seeking in new hires. One reason they are so revered is that they help facilitate human connections.

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Podcast from UCC's Graduate Attributes
So what are these five skills - and why are employers looking for them?

Communication

Communication skills are felt to be one of the most valued skills in the workplace, but it is thought that the development of these skills can be often overlooked in favour of technical trainings. Workers are more productive when they know how to communicate with their peers. If one can clearly express the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a project, that is clearly a hot ticket. Effective communication skills can give you the edge needed to progress in your role, and lead to great opportunities that hugely benefit both the employee and the employer.

Empathy

Empathy can be defined as an 'other-focused' emotional response that allows one person to effectively connect with one another, often through feelings of sympathy, compassion, tenderness, and concern. Within the workplace, empathy helps with management and collaboration by helping to understand the other people's perspective. The idea of putting yourself in someone else's shoes can make it easier to find a compromise between two points of view which leads to a quick resolution and better workplace morale.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's The Business, psychotherapist Siobhan Murray on dealing with difficult people in the workplace
Sustainable skills

Sustainability has become a real concern with end consumers in all industrial sectors, especially in combating the social, economic, and environmental challenges we all face. It is recommended that there must be a consideration of how to advise and provide the necessary sustainability skills to new employees to allow them to become more environmentally aware and sustainable as they progress to the next step in their career ladders. Action plans like the UN Sustainable Development Goals can aid both the employee and employer at large to create targets to achieve these global goals.

Flexibility

Flexibility and resilience are associated with greater job satisfaction, work happiness, role commitment and employee engagement. Prof Carol Dweck at Stanford Universit found that are two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth (flexible) mindset. In a fixed mindset, intelligence is static whereas with a growth mindset intelligence can be developed. According to UCC researcher Dr Eithne Hunt, we are not born with a fixed level of intelligence, and everyone can develop their abilities through hard work, effective strategies, seeking support from others, and seeing setbacks as opportunities to build new skills.

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From RTÉ Brainstorm, the good and bad news about workplace gossip
Creativity

Being a creator is hugely significant in solving problems and generating opportunities in our fast-paced workplaces. Creativity is contagious and inspirational, encouraging teamwork and collaboration. Creative workplaces keep employees motivated, develop a sense of ownership, and as a result attract and retain employees.

Soft skills are something that we develop every day, both consciously and unconsciously, and in many parts of our lives. These include personal relationships, hobbies, volunteering, education, and work. In saying this, it is very important to invest time in upskilling in these top five skills and you'll be sure to flourish in your squiggly career and personal and growth mindset.
Maggie O'Sullivan is Graduate Attributes Programme Officer at UCC. Clodagh O'Sullivan is Graduate Attributes Programme Officer at UCC. Adel Coleman is Graduate Attributes Programme Manager at UCC. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

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Here are the 5 skills all new employees need

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Analysis: we live in an era where squiggly careers are the norm so what are the important soft skills employers are looking for? By Maggie O'Sullivan, Clodagh O'Sullivan and Adel Coleman, UCC Career progression has shifted on its head in recent years. Nowadays, the typical career path seems more squiggly than straight up.

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Responding to Racism in Social Work Practice Placements Thursday 20th April 12 - 2pm FREE online lunchtime webinar is part of the collaborative CPD series by the National Practice Teaching in Social Work Initiative (NPTSWI) & the IASW. Participants at this event will hear from Colletta Dalikeni of the IASW Anti-Racism Advisory Group and Shantel Thomas, BASW UK Anti Racism Lead.

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"Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is one of the key mechanisms used to foster high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among registrants." (CORU) View more information here.

The National Practice teaching in social work initiative (NPTSWI) NPTSWI in partnership with the IASW hosts online CPD events to support practice teachers.
Registration for these events is OPEN TO ALL and FREE for non-members and members.

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Continuing Professional Development | University College Cork

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"Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is one of the key mechanisms used to foster high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among registrants." (CORU) View more information here. The National Practice teaching in social work initiative (NPTSWI) NPTSWI in partnership with the IASW hosts online CPD events to support practice teachers.

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The in person event is fully booked but we do have some sessions available on livestream. Please see below for more details and how to register. If you are looking for the full programme and in person conference information then please follow this link.

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Bodies, things and spaces of violence in later life: The perspective of material gerontology

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Bodies, things and spaces of violence in later life: The perspective of material gerontology

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Bodies, things and spaces of violence in later life The perspective of material gerontology

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Responding to Racism in Social Work Placements

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Responding to Racism in Social Work Placements

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Presented by Shantel Thomas 20 April 2023

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Upcoming conference on early years and childhood studies, which is being hosted by the BA in EYCS in conjunction with the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster

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Upcoming conference on early years and childhood studies, which is being hosted by the BA in EYCS in conjunction with the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster

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Looking Back, Looking Forward Conference schedule

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Free Online CPD: Exploring grief-related reactions in people who were in active addiction at the time of a peer's drug-related death

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Free Online CPD: Exploring grief-related reactions in people who were in active addiction at the time of a peer's drug-related death

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Invitation to Early Years and Childhood Studies Conference at UCC, 10th March

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Invitation to Early Years and Childhood Studies Conference at UCC, 10th March

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Free open access online journal 'Concept'.  This issue is focused on 'care'

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Free open access online journal 'Concept'.  This issue is focused on 'care'

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Concept

The Journal of Contemporary Community Education Practice Theory. The Concept Journal offers a lively independent forum for critical debate and exchange of ideas in contemporary Community Education. Community Education is seen in the broadest sense to include community work, adult education and youth work and takes place in a range of settings and agencies. We see the concept of community education as dynamic and diverse and do not seek to reflect a fixed view.

Current Issue

Vol 13 No 2 (2022): Volume 13, No 2, Summer, 2022

View All Issues

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The Journal of Contemporary Community Education Practice Theory. The Concept Journal offers a lively independent forum for critical debate and exchange of ideas in contemporary Community Education. Community Education is seen in the broadest sense to include community work, adult education and youth work and takes place in a range of settings and agencies.

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Practice Teaching: Report Writing Essentials

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Practice Teaching: Report Writing Essentials

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Hosted by Kathy Bradley & Eadaoin Regan, UCC Skills Centre | 2nd November 2021

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What is the difference between a theory, model, method and approach in social work?

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Andy McClenaghan is joined by IASW chair Vivian Geiran to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the profession in Ireland

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Welcome to Let's Talk Social Work, the podcast from the British Association of Social Workers. This is a space for conversation-discussion with social workers, the individuals they support, and colleagues working in related professions. We consider the key matters affecting social workers as we explore contemporary issues with a focus at both the local and global levels.
The views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of the Association.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Let's Talk Social Work, the podcast from the British Association of Social Workers. This is a space for conversation-discussion with social workers, the individuals they support, and colleagues working in related professions. We consider the key matters affecting social workers as we explore contemporary issues with a focus at both the local and global levels.
The views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of the Association.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More intersectional topics please

This is helping me learn a lot about social work - starting a BA next year hopefully! Love the topics of intersectional social work ... Would love to hear more of this!!

Helpful resource for social workers

This is a great podcast for social workers and covers a wide range of useful topics that are relevant and when it's not something I've been engaged with, it offers me learning. I'm really glad to have found it and recommend it highly

Valuable resource

Fantastic resource to learn more about different areas of social work practice and the impact of changes in politics and wider society

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‎Let's Talk Social Work on Apple Podcasts

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Welcome to Let's Talk Social Work, the podcast from the British Association of Social Workers. This is a space for conversation-discussion with social workers, the individuals they support, and colleagues working in related professions. We consider the key matters affecting social workers as we expl...