Social Change in Ethiopia and Social Work Responses

Abstract

Social change is multi-dimensional which is measured against space, time, speed, direction, content and impact. Social change occurs because of culture, conflict, idealistic factors, the need for adaptation, environmental factors, economic and political factors, demographic changes, and social movements and change. The process of social change in contemporary Ethiopia is related to the history of transition of the country from the feudal system to the socialist revolutionary government and then to ethnic-based federal system of government. One of the social actions that contributed for the formation of new social order during the socialist regime in Ethiopia was the mass campaign against illiteracy through adult learning program. Post 1991 Ethiopia has entertained immense and rapid social changes reflected in the citizens socio-economic, political and cultural changes. Social work is supposedly responding to a social change process by unfolding and revisiting its teaching curricula and practice models to fit into the current needs of social change. According to advocates of structural social work, social change and social movements are the cores of social work action to overcome the root causes of injustice and oppression. In Ethiopia, like any other developing countries, social work is a very new profession. In contrast to the existing challenges of lack of professionalization of social work, there are promising efforts exerted in Ethiopia where social work becomes responsible for social change. However, social work in Ethiopia is in its early stage to evaluate its contribution for social change.