“We Don’t Have a Job, We Have a Way of Life” Perspectives on Effective Aboriginal Social Work Education and Addressing the Impacts of Generational Trauma

Abstract

The aim of this research paper is to investigate how Aboriginal social workers apply the knowledge they’ve gained as part of their formal social work education to working with Aboriginal clients dealing with the effects of generational trauma. This includes looking at which aspects of their education they considered to be the most useful, when they felt the need to rely on traditional knowledge, and discussing any dilemmas they encounter in transferring knowledge from one community to another. Ten social workers of Aboriginal heritage were interviewed as part of the qualitative study. A thematic analysis was then applied to the interviews to determine consistent themes and subthemes. The results were analyzed using two theoretical concepts, professional imperialism and the indigenization of social work. These theories criticise the appropriateness of importing Western social work education and values into non-Western communities, and promote the authentization of social work practice using a bottom-up approach where indigenous worldviews are used as the primary knowledge source. Findings from the study are that, for the Aboriginal social workers in the study, providing services to their Aboriginal clients is more than just a job. For them it is about healing themselves, their Aboriginal peers, and acting as support and advocates for their own communities. The research also concludes that Aboriginal knowledge should be respected as legitimate and important by mainstream social work education and practice, and that non-Aboriginal social workers should adopt an appreciation for Aboriginal cultures and worldviews. The results also suggests that both Western and indigenous social workers can learn valuable skills from each other.