Learning from each other. An autoethnographic exploration of two child welfare systems with a north-south perspective – Norway and Botswana

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ABSTRACT This paper uses a collaborative autoethnographicapproach to explore how the concepts of child welfare practicerelating to child participation, family involvement, cultural andlegal practices are experienced in Norway and Botswana child welfaresystems. These concepts form the main themes of this paper and wecritic them in light of the Global Typology of child welfare systems.Norway has a child rights protection system. We argue that Botswanafalls in between a child exploitation protective system and a childmaltreatment system. The paper demonstrates the following:Originality in developing own laws and structures seems to influenceconsistency in progress; Child protection systems are influenced bylegal frameworks that need to be revised frequently; Adapting lawsfrom external structures conflict with local cultural practices ofvalue; Emphasis on kinship, family and community as alternativesupport systems helps to keep children within their natural network;When the welfare state does not promote genuine equity and equalityfor the general population, resources become more strained forchildren at risk. The intention of this paper, in making reflectionson the Botswana and Norwegian child welfare systems, as well as ourautoethnographic voices is to ignite similar autoethnographicresearch among scholars and practitioners.