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Whiteness in Social Work: Developing Decolonial Forms of Practice

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Handbook of Critical Whiteness

Abstract

This chapter examines Whiteness and decoloniality in social work, and more specifically within the Australian social work context. Social workers are guided by the principles of human rights and social justice and use critical reflection in working with individuals, families, and groups from diverse communities, including First Nations Peoples. More importantly, as a profession grounded in values of anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and inclusive practice, social workers are called to address issues affecting the most vulnerable, marginalized, and historically disenfranchised populations. Nevertheless, in settler colonial societies such as Australia, the social work profession has normalized and institutionalized Whiteness in ways that sustain colonial practices of racial inequity and privilege leaving behind ethnically and racially marked groups. This chapter highlights how Whiteness and coloniality interfere with, and affect, everything from assumptions to presumptions, and perspectives to knowledge that inform social work practice and professional guidelines in Australia. Beyond critiquing Whiteness, this chapter uncovers not only new ways of working to achieve decoloniality in social work, but also calls social workers to incorporate critical Whiteness and critical multiculturalism toward developing more decolonial forms of practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Hyacinth Udah

Authors
  1. Hyacinth Udah
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Correspondence to Hyacinth Udah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sydney School of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Jioji Ravulo

  2. School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Katarzyna Olcoń

  3. Translational Health Research Institute, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Tinashe Dune

  4. School of Health Sciences, Translational Health Research Institute, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Alex Workman

  5. College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Pranee Liamputtong

Section Editor information

  1. School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

    Katarzyna Olcoń

  2. Translational Health Research Institute, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Tinashe Dune Ph.D

  3. Discipline of Psychological Sciences, Australian College of Applied Professions, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tinashe Dune Ph.D

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Udah, H. (2023). Whiteness in Social Work: Developing Decolonial Forms of Practice. In: Ravulo, J., Olcoń, K., Dune, T., Workman, A., Liamputtong, P. (eds) Handbook of Critical Whiteness. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1612-0_26-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1612-0_26-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-1612-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-1612-0

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