African Journal of Social Work

Ubuntu and forced migration: reflections for social work engagement with older refugees in Canada

Prince Chaigozie EKOH and Ajwang WARRIA — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As an African philosophy, Ubuntu, anchored in our humanness and interconnectedness, holds a lot of promise for social work research and practice with older refugees. It can potentially make communal care and mutual support between older refugees and host communities a lifestyle that can address the peculiar needs of older refugees. This article synthesised literature linking Ubuntu to social work and refugees using a desk review. The reviewed literature illustrates Ubuntu’s significance in social justice, respect for the dignity and worth of refugees and improving their integration into society. Ubuntu was also found to help refugees develop resilience and strength, especially when they support other refugees. It moves away from the pathological view of refugeeism to understanding refugees as people who also provide support. However, despite Ubuntu being a lifestyle in Africa, many Africans seem to have abandoned this, as evidenced by various social issues affecting refugees in Africa, such as xenophobic attacks. This paper makes a case for adopting Ubuntu in social work practice and research with older refugees through the development of communal support systems of care.

Journal website:

https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

How to reference using ASWNet style:

Ekoh P. C. and Warria A. (2023). Ubuntu and forced migration: reflections for social work engagement with older refugees in Canada. African Journal of Social Work, 13(1), 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i1.1

Decolonising Social work in industrial settings: roles, challenges, and prospects in India

Subrata DAS and Shyam SINGH — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Industrial social work is broad domain and a demanding specialization under the social work profession in the world and India. For the welfare of the industrial workers, the Government of India made it compulsory for the employment of Labour Welfare Officers in industrial settings through the enactment of various Labour Laws and Legislations such as the Factory Act, 1948, the Plantation Act, 1951, and the Mines Act, 1952. Professional Social Workers have many challenges and opportunities for their intervention in Industrial settings. The study conducted base on secondary data to highlight the social work activities in and organization. The paper’s primary purpose is to explore the challenges and the perspectives of the social work practice in the industrial settings. Professional social workers usually use the six social work methods to address economic development, social the wellbeing of the workers, and wellbeing of the family members. In addition, all the social work methods consider women development and empowerment, health, education, and sustainable development of the workers and their family members.

Journal website:

https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

How to reference using ASWNet style:

Das S. and Singh S. (2023). Decolonising Social work in industrial settings: roles, challenges, and prospects in India. African Journal of Social Work, 13(1), 12-21. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i1.2

Perceptions of stakeholders on drivers of stigma subjected to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Alice town, Eastern Cape: Implications for human rights and social service professions

Simon KANGETHE — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Despite global HIV/AIDS stigma going down significantly, South Africa continues to experience both internal and external stigma that is believed to derail people’s rights to prevention and response. It is therefore important to establish the drivers of stigma and the human rights deficit they pose to the PLWHA and to social workers. The article, through informal community engagements, sought to tap the insights of selected stakeholders on the drivers of stigma in Alice town and its environs. The study comprised thirty-three participants, eight of whom were engaged in in-depth interviews while 25 of them were involved in four focus group discussions. Coding facilitated the selection and establishment of themes. Findings established that stigma was driven by ignorance pertaining to the AIDS aetiology and epidemiology; weaker campaign infrastructure in the rural areas; poverty of the people; denialism and myths. The article has used the philosophy of Ubuntu to suggest how to tackle HIV/AIDS stigma. The article recommends more research on drivers of stigma. Collaboration, as well as a synergy between different stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS arena, is recommended.

Journal website:

https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

How to reference using ASWNet style:

Kangethe S. (2023). Perceptions of stakeholders on drivers of stigma subjected to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Alice town, Eastern Cape: Implications for human rights and social service professions. African Journal of Social Work, 13(1), 30-38. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i1.4

Appraisal of education as youth transformational agent for national development in Nigeria

Isaiah Ola ABOLARIN — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The roles of youth in national development cannot be underestimated. The roles can be either negative, hampering the development or positive, enhancing the development. The kind of education received by the youth is a significant factor to whatever role they play in building a nation. Nigeria as a nation experiences a period of different violent and criminal behaviours among which are kidnaping for ransom, killing, internet crime (yahoo-yahoo), and money ritual killings and all these are going along with the global Covid-19 pandemic that also has negative impact on the national development. These behaviours are being majorly committed by the youth of the nation. This calls for transformation as a needed phenomenon for the youth in Nigeria using education as the tool, to build them for national development. Adopting desk research, the study was anchored on Omoluabi concept. The study concluded that since education is imperative for youth transformation, the educational stakeholders in Nigeria are to reform the education system that will lead youth to become acceptable adults thereby making positive contribution to the development of the nation.

Journal website:

https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

How to reference using ASWNet style:

Abolarin, I. O. (2023). Appraisal of education as youth transformational agent for national development in Nigeria. African Journal of Social Work, 13(1), 22-29. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i1.3

The impact of the corona virus disease (COVID-19) on domestic violence in Jordanian society from the point of view of husbands

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The study aimed to identify the impact of the corona pandemic on domestic violence in Jordanian society from the point of view of the husbands, the study relied on the descriptive analytical approach and a questionnaire was used to collect data and information, which included two dimensions, the first is the level of violence directed by the husband towards the wife, and the second dimension the level of violence directed by the wife towards the husband, in addition to the study of some social variables related to the study, the study sample consisted of (171) in Irbid Governorate in Jordan, The results of the study concluded that the relationship of domestic violence during the Corona pandemic to the wife by the husband was of an average degree, at a rate of 2.42 from the general average as a whole. While the general average of violence directed by the wife towards the husband was (2.25) with a low degree, the results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level (0.05≥α) for the estimates of the study sample members for each of the sex, educational level, monthly income and family members.

Journal website:

https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

How to reference using ASWNet style:

Al Hussainat, M. M., Al Momani, M. A. K., Murtadha, M. A. & Al Qatawneh, A. H. (2023). The impact of the corona virus disease (COVID-19) on domestic violence in Jordanian society from the point of view of husbands. African Journal of Social Work, 13(1), 39-47. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i1.5