Abstract
The Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training (hereafter referred to as “the document”) that was adopted by the General Assemblies of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in October 2004 was born out of several small and big compromises. As Chair of the Global Standards Committee, I remain ambivalent about some of the processes and the product. As pointed out previously (Williams & Sewpaul, 2004), despite the best attempts at consultation and ensuring representation of different voices, they remained flawed, especially when working on a document that is supposed to cover worldwide processes and representation. On being asked to Chair the Global Standards Committee my reaction was that it was a preposterous and over-ambitious goal, with my biggest fear being that it would reinforce a Western hegemony and reproduce Western professional imperialism in social work education and practice. I was informed that because I understood the sensitivities and complexities of such an endeavour, I would be suited to lead the process.
Highlights
The Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training that was adopted by the General Assemblies of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in October 2004 was born out of several small and big compromises
We began with consultation with colleagues across the globe on open questions such as: Should IASSW and IFSW engage in developing global standards for social work education and training? What did colleagues think about the idea of developing such standards? What might the purpose of such standards be? What sort of content should be included in such a document? What might the advantages of such standards be? What might the potential disadvantages be? Might such standards reinforce a Western hegemony?
I conclude with a critique of modernist assumptions of moral certainly founded in external rules and codes, and I call for “being for the Other” (Levinas, cited in Bauman, 1993) to be considered an ethical imperative in social work
Summary
The Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training (hereafter referred to as “the document”) that was adopted by the General Assemblies of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in October 2004 was born out of several small and big compromises. We began with consultation with colleagues across the globe (see Sewpaul & Jones, 2005 for details) on open questions such as: Should IASSW and IFSW engage in developing global standards for social work education and training?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
