Professional Social Work in Ethiopia: Integration of Theory and Practice

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Date

2012-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

A rationale to journey on the professional social work environment in Ethiopia to discover the existing practical experiences and challenges of integrating social work theories and practice necessitated this research undertaking in the year 2012 from the work experience of Masters of Social Work (MSW) graduates of the school of social work in Addis Ababa University. A qualitative research method was employed once willing participants were found after being 3 asked via both e-mail and telephone. In depth interview was used as a data collection mechanism while open ended questions were sent to participants who preferred the e-mail communication to participate in the study and others were interviewed via phone. As the findings of this study indicate a professional social work practice has been started in the country despite numerous challenges and different issues infiltrating the profession and the endeavor of practitioners to integrate social work theory and practice. Accordingly, elements and indicators of scientific and rational instruction, evidence based practice and post modernists thinking of social work were seen among the participants. They urged for indigenization, both professionalization and deprofessionali. zation with their tendency towards both direct practice and indirect practice, generalist practice and remedial pr<lctice with a comment to move to the developmental orientation for the future. The relatively unknown and unrecognized status of the profession in the country, difficult environment to practice, a non-indigenous education which made it difficult to contextualize the practice and lack of strong professional association were mentioned as challenges of integrating theory and practice among others. The recommendation of the participants centered on having strong networks of communication and association of professionals, promotion and advertisement of the profession and working towards standardizing the profession in the country. Key terms; Apprenticeship learning, Scientific and rational in struction, Practitioner science, Evidence based practice, Modernism, Post modernism, Enlightenment thinking, Romantic thinking, Indigenization, Universalization, Transferability, Non transferability, Professionalization, De-professionalization, Direct practice , Indirect practice, Generalist practice, specialist practice, Remedial practice and Developmental practice

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Keywords

Apprenticeship learning, Scientific and rational in struction, Practitioner science, Evidence based practice, Modernism, Post modernism

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