Udah, Hyacinth (2024) Whiteness in social work: Developing decolonial forms of practice. In: Ravulo, Jioji, Olcoń, Katarzyna, Dune, Tinashe, Workman, Alex, and Liamputtong, Pranee, (eds.) Handbook of Critical Whiteness: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses Across Disciplines. Springer Nature, Singapore, pp. 561-577.

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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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