From Colonialism to Postcolonialism: Decolonized Social Work Education in South Africa

Abstract

In a postcolonial context, the influences of South African colonial and apartheid history are still visible, and much has been written about the need to decolonize learning and teaching practices. However, student protest movements point to a general dissatisfaction with the higher education context in a postcolonial and postapartheid society. In an effort to acknowledge this dissatisfaction, this article examines the concepts of colonialism, decolonization and decoloniality, and postcolonialism, and explores how an understanding thereof could contribute to decolonized social work education. Four strategies to employ in decolonized learning and teaching are proposed; namely, creating opportunities for conversations, exploring how we think about colonialism and decolonization, aiming for Africanization, and centralizing African culture and identity within the South African context.