Perspective Chapter: Social Work Education in University Curricula for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Universities of both global North and South have been changing from the traditional teaching-learning centers to cater to sustainability issues of those countries. Yet, there is a remarkable difference between the universities in the developed and the developing world. It has been found out that the different disciplines of university curricula can be integrated to address and minimize the adverse effects of unsustainability issues. The graduates of the universities will be the future leaders who have to cater to the needs and cope with the challenges of the next generation. There is a dearth of professional social workers to provide the necessary services as numerous catastrophes occur. The global society needs individuals who are equally sound in the knowledge of theory and the experience of practice. As the contemporary global issues become complex, the world needs competent social workers who can serve in different fields of practice. Social work could be the pivotal discipline in understanding common tragedies of the people to apply problem-solving model with the practitioners who are equipped with twenty-first century skills. Social work has to take a transition from a unidisciplinary to a multi- and trans-disciplinary perspective in achieving this objective.

1. Introduction

The chapter describes the role Social Work education could play in the university curricula to achieve sustainable development. In the second section, Social Work education is introduced. In that, Social Work is briefly introduced as a discipline. The evolution and the importance of the Social Work education have been highlighted, and the section concludes with how Social Work education has been theorized. The third section describes the different experiences of Social Work education in university curricula that can be seen in global North and South. Even though Social Work is popular in both spheres, there is a significant difference between the two. The fourth section summarizes briefly the relationship between social work education and sustainable development goals. The chapter is concluded by proving that Social Work education has not developed to play its crucial role and the relevant authorities have to take prompt action to maximize its potentials in the university system.

2. Discussion

2.1 Introducing social work education

2.1.1 Understanding social work

The importance of social work as an academic discipline and a practice-based profession would be vital in future more than in the past and present. The global definition given by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) provides the foundation for further discussion [1]. Social work is a professional activity that serves the society and its people from micro, mezzo to macro levels by strengthening the capacities and capabilities of people to enrich the lives of all [2]. The social workers around the world strive to create a better living space by using the theories they have learnt in practical contexts for which they need to have a sound theoretical knowledge about the discipline that they are going to be engaged in and a thorough practice in the field settings to try out what they have learnt [3]. During the past few years, the knowledge provision of social work has been a serious concern of the academics, researchers, and policymakers around the globe [4, 5, 6, 7].

Even though social work began initially to support the poor and the needy, a subsequent understanding directed it to be developed as a professional career [6, 8, 9]. Philanthropers, during the initial stages in the Europe and the USA, were based on a religious foundation when they were helping the poor. As time passes, they were of the opinion that the proper systematization of the charity work would serve the communities better than what they have been doing [6, 8]. When analyzing the nature of social work today, it is understood that as an academic discipline, social work has been able to deliver a superior service to different segments of society than what it was initially contributing. As an academic discipline, the universities in the developed world commenced social work study programs [4, 6, 8, 10], and then, the developing world followed the suit understanding the value creation it can add to their societies [5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14]. At present, different Universities, Schools of Social work, International and National Associations, Higher educational Institutes, and many other private sector institutions have begun to offer social work academic programs integrated with field work practice. These Social Work programs have been designed from the Certificate, Foundation, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelors, Masters, Masters of Philosophy, and up to the standard of Doctorates.

2.1.2 Evolution of social work education

The historical evolution of the social work education (SWE) in the developed world could be understood in relation to industrialization, urbanization, the economic crises such as the “Great Depression” and immigration [8, 9]. The main aim of the Charity Organization Societies (COSs) and the Settlement House Movements (SHMs) was to assist the needy during that time. Some of the American government’s social welfare programs facilitated the introduction of Social Security Act of 1935. The Economic Opportunity Act, Older American Act, and the Food Stamps Program also directed toward satisfying the needs of the different groups of people in society [15]. Industrialization had created numerous antisocial contexts and personalities due to the pressures created on individuals. Prostitution, child labor, alcoholism, suicide, mental illnesses, and many other social evils generated by the industrialization immediately demanded the need of a discipline akin to Social Work. The immigrant communities in the West were another concern. Inability to integrate into the systems of host communities created many issues for both the visitors and the hosts.

On the other hand, the developing world had witnessed the development of the SWE mainly through Westernization that was prompted by colonialism [6, 11, 12]. Modernization and globalization were the subsequent impacts of Western imperialism [12]. The developing world of the African, Asian and Latin American regions had their own social issues based on the plurality of those societies. Colonialism aggravated these issues and Westernization became the problem than a solution to their social, political, economic, religious, legal, educational, cultural, and other concerns [11]. Yet, the modernization process that was thrust upon the Rest by the West convinced them the solutions also can be arrived at by following the education system of the West. Social work also became one of the Western academic disciplines for them even though these indigenous, non-Western societies had been practicing social work of their own since time immemorial. With the influences of globalization, those non-Western academics who are pursuing for better, lucrative careers with social prestige and distinction found Social Work to be one of the leading professions in the contemporary context [2]. Apart from that, Social Work has become a distinctive discipline that can foster different forms of development, social policy formulation, and planning [2, 5, 11, 13].

All the above examples prove the need of the services of professional social workers and the training institutes to train them, a comprehensive curriculum to provide a unique, country-specific content, the competent professionals to conduct these training programs, and the centers of excellence to practice this new knowledge. The sub-specializations got developed in relation to the different fields of practice as time passes. It was drawing its subject matter—theory and practice—from many other disciplines such as Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, History, and Psychology but at the same time, trying to develop its own identity as an autonomous discipline. The establishment of national level associations, publication of text books, journals, and the organizing and conducting the symposiums or conferences, the presentations of research drew the attention of the intelligentsia, the researchers, and the general public who are interested in this new discipline, Social Work.

2.1.3 The importance of social work education

During the initial stages, there were only the affluent, privileged, educated individuals and self-managed groups those who could serve in charity programs [8]. They were volunteers who had an enthusiasm and affordability to help the poor, children, war victims, and the aged. As these activities progress, it was identified that a professional training was needed to serve the concerned individuals or communities better. For example, during the World Wars I and II, the nurses and the doctors have treated the war victims, but there were many long-term physical and psychological ailments that these victims were suffering from. To help them to live their lives peacefully during their old age, the services of the expertise were needed. So, Social Work had to initiate different social work practices in different fields.

The schools, families, hospitals, prisons, elders’ homes, rehabilitation centers, community-based organizations, and mental hospitals needed the services of social workers who have a specialized training. At the beginning, the Social Work knowledge and programs inevitably became a Western-oriented discipline even in the non-Western regions [6, 11, 12]. There is no harm in becoming so because the entire world was practicing the knowledge, theories, approaches, and models developed by the Western scholars, especially, in the United Kingdom and USA [2, 12]. But as different countries have different issues, there were many competing and conflicting interests. The cultural milieu of different geographies demanded unique Social Work programs for different countries. But still the world cannot be happy to conclude that the social work programs conducted around the world are fully comprehensive and holistic [6]. There are many efforts to be made to make it a representative discipline that would satisfy the requirements of, at least, the majority of the world.

In 2019, the two leading international institutes, the IFSW and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), have got together to finalize the Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training [16]. To realize this final document, the contributions came from 400 universities and higher educational institutes representing 125 countries. Further, there were five regional associations that contributed to make this project a success. Social work practitioners, academia, and a large number of researchers related to Social Work extended their knowledge and expertise to formulate the uniformity of this document. Since different countries have been employing diverse methods, the standardization of the Social Work practice in education and training is a timely need. When using or implementing the knowledge, the Western-oriented knowledge may not be suitable to all the other contexts.

A standardized global Social Work practice is needed due to various reasons. Even though the countries are different, the problems of the people may be the same. Therefore, the settings, the fields of practice, theories, models, approaches, techniques, skills, and ethical guidelines could have similar orientations. But, the resources available, whether human or physical, are dissimilar [6]. The structure of the education programs and the delivery methods are different. In the global South, the opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) in the field of social work are less [5, 11, 12]. Accreditation for the institutions and courses, licensing, and the legal support for the programs are essential prerequisites [13]. The governments have to institute regulatory bodies to look into the progress of the discipline.

So, the present SWE and training has to get ready for the new inequalities that would arise and their possible after effects on humankind. The inability to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), political instabilities, regular economic crises, ethnic and other forms of conflicts and gender disparities have been the critical issues of both global North and South at present. The natural disasters also have created opportunities for the social workers around the world to provide many services to the victims. Because of all these, the curriculum and the training in Social Work programs should align with the basic human rights of the world.

2.1.4 Theorizing social work education

Social Work theories inform the social workers what they should do and how they should do it when they are in their respective fields of practice. The knowledge of theory helps them how to organize their work when they work with others. Theory in Social Work curriculum has been derived from many other similar disciplines; Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Education, Anthropology, and Psychology [17, 18]. Therefore, when teaching, learning, or applying Social Work theories, the teachers and the learners, that means, the social workers, have to be aware that all these theories are nothing new. Those are the extensions or adaptations of the existing theories that have been practiced over generations. Constantly, the people, places, and the issues are changing. So, the same theory may not be applicable to different countries even if the issue is the same. How these existing theories are prominent in the curriculum of this new discipline is the most important aspect discussed in this subsection.

Cox et al. provide an exhaustive list of social work theories that can be seen in the literature produced in relation to social work [17]. As was said earlier, most of these theories are derived from basic sociological, political, economic, anthropological, and psychological perspectives [17, 18]. Apart from that, the feminist, postmodern, and behavioral theories also have become notable approaches. When designing the Social Work curriculum, different study programs have given importance to certain theories based on their own requirements. Payne explains that the ultimate aim of the social work theories is to solve the problems of the people, empower people, and become the driver for social change [19]. In many circumstances, the social workers have to engage in qualitative studies. So, the social workers should be able to penetrate how the individuals or groups construct their world views, thus requiring the knowledge of phenomenological and ethnomethodological approaches.

The formal and informal classification used by Oko is another notable distinction [18]. The fundamental theories are the structural theories such as consensus and conflict theories. The consensus theory is related to the functionalist paradigm, whereas the conflict theory to the Marxist paradigm. The interpretivist theory is the social action theory or constructivist approach. The formal theories—empowerment approach or strength perspective, educate the social workers to understand the people’s weaknesses and help them to rebuild their lives. The informal theories, on the other hand, are dependent on “word of mouth,” “on-the-job training,” and “commonsense” ideologies [18]. These are equally powerful at the field of practice when practicing social work by the social workers. The real world of the people should be really understood when the social workers work with them in their own environments.

3. Social work education in university curricula

3.1 The curricula in universities

Many Social Work degrees that are recognized locally and internationally are offered by the tertiary educational institutes of the country. In many countries of the world, there is an authoritative body to accredit these social work programs [6]. The international associations are there to design the global standards as to how the entire world can practice the discipline in a uniformed way [1, 6, 8]. The curricula are designed by the particular institute and then get the approval of the necessary accreditation body(ies)—regional or professional—of the country [8] while in some countries there are none [6, 12]. Highly qualified professionals are there to deliver the content to train the young minds who are interested in this field. At the preliminary level, there are foundation, certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma programs. But the popular programs are BA in Social Work, BSc. in Social Work, MA in Social Work, M.Sc. in Social Work, M.Phil. in Social Work, and Ph.D. in Social Work or Doctor of Social Work. The advanced programs have field work placements and research to prove the candidate whether s/he has the capacity to practice what s/he has learnt.

One of the basic issues is that the structure of the Social Work degree. To be eligible for the undergraduate degree, a university entrance requirement or any other similar qualification is sufficient. Most of the Bachelor’s degrees are of 3 years or 4 years. There are no common curricula even though all these universities or institutes adhere to the global standards. Most of the curricula promote a generalist practice with a limited time period for a professional training [12]. In the Master’s level also the curriculum is different from institute to institute, and no uniformity in the specializations they offer. Many individuals prefer to follow Social Work degree at the Master’s level after completing a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline. It has been found out that the Western-oriented Social Work theories, methods, and practices have been included in the curricula of the non-Western educational institutes as well [6, 12].

Due to this in 1992, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) decided to formulate a common curriculum for all the social work programs to follow [2]. The field work component too differs significantly. Even though there cannot be a uniformity due to each institute’s unique identity, the job market has not got adjusted to the youth who are leaving universities after completing their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees [6]. The newly passed out Social Work graduates have no options other than working in NGOs and many other similar organizations. Lack of proper employment for Social Work graduates is a sheer waste of national economy as the social workers cannot extend their services to the society at large [5].

All the universities or any other educational institute that offers a Social Work study program should adhere to the global standards to maintain uniformity throughout the world [11]. Ginsberg (2005) mentions eight standards based on the 2003 version issued by the Commission on accreditation of CSWE [8]. Even though all these are equally important, the second, fifth, and the eighth standards are crucial in relation to the topic that is discussed here. The second standard is curriculum. The curriculum should adhere to the program specifications and the expectations. It should be in line with the country’s educational policy, social welfare policy, social work practices, and all forms of development indices. So from one program to the next, the specializations and the relevance to the society’s needs and wants should be met.

Baikady et al. are of the opinion that most of the global South curricula have not got upgraded according to the local requirements but rather rely on or heavily influenced by the Western traditions [6]. It is interesting to note that both global North and South societies are getting unprecedently diversified and fragmented, but the nature of the issues and the outcomes are totally dissimilar. Therefore, the challenge of the social work curriculum or syllabus is to cater to those pressing needs of the local communities [5]. The local universities and the relevant governmental authorities have to be ahead of the times predicting the nature of Social Work services the country needs in future.

The fifth standard is the professional development of the student who steps into the world of social work. The student who gets enrolled to any social work study program should be convinced that s/he has the necessary environment to enjoy the benefits of a CPD program structure. As we are in need of professionally sound social workers, the SWE structure of the country should ensure that guarantee. The eighth standard is about the assessment of the study programs. There should be timely revisions to the curriculum, proper assessment structure, accreditation, and licensing [6, 7].

Sewpaul and Jones have mentioned nine global standards for SWE and Training and the article, though 1 year before than Ginsberg, offer a detailed and informative discussion of the agreed standards of the collaborative effort between the IASSW and the IFSW [20]. The CSWE has introduced nine social work competencies, program mission and goals, accreditation standards for the generalist and specialist practice, implicit and explicit curriculum, faculty, administrative and governance structure, and student evaluations in its guidelines [21]. All these provide the necessary platform for any university to design their study programs.

Ioakimidis and Sookraj who discuss the final document adopted by the IASSW and the IFSW in 2020 organize the global standards for SWE and Training under three distinctive domains: the school, the people, and the profession [16]. In this discussion of preparing the future leaders for tomorrow, SWE could immensely help to address the global sustainability issues. The schools considered in this context are the universities, tertiary educational institutes, and any other academic institute that offer SWE programs. According to the common agreement, the curriculum should be common, consistent, and regularly reviewed. The social workers should have a balance in theoretical knowledge and the on-field training. The main functions of the Social Work schools and other institutions are to empower the new social workers to enhance critical thinking skills, rational approaches to problem-solving, and a commitment to CPD. They should be given a thorough training on the ethical guidelines of the social work practice in all the possible fields of practice where they would have to serve in future [4]. Even though there could be many universal elements that can be shared in both global North and South, the contexts, peoples, and issues may not be the same. So, having a broader and in-depth knowledge in relation to context-specific, people-specific, and issue-specific is vital.

The people are the different stakeholders who are a part of the SWE. They can be the students, the teachers, the administrators, clients, and/or any other individual, group, or community that contributes toward the quality enhancement of the social work profession. The educators should have a sound knowledge and a wealth of knowledge on theory and practice. Social work schools produce the professionals to fill the dearth of professional social workers in the society. These professionals extend their services from the subnational, national, regional, to global levels [2]. The profession serves the society in two ways. While it gives an opportunity to the social workers to engage in practices, simultaneously it allows the victims or clients to find solutions for their issues. The social workers, whether they are veterans or novices, could utilize social work practices to integrate the global standards with local requirements.

3.2 The impact of social work education on society

The impact of SWE on society could be understood from many perspectives. It can be the individual, institutional, or organizational and the structural level of the society [4]. When considering the individual level, there are mainly two segments. The first is the social workers. The lecturers, students who study Social Work and the professional social workers constitute this segment. The other segment represents the clients related to different fields of practice. The ultimate aim of the SWE in university curricula is to empower the members of both these segments. While the social workers are becoming proficient and competent in their service provision, simultaneously, they make the entire society a better place for all those clients to live.

The role of the institutions and organizations from the subnational level to the global level has a tremendous influence on society. The local level village communities and community-based organizations undoubtedly play a leading role in fulfilling the needs and wants of the society at a micro level. It is the village community that identifies their issues and the needs and wants better. The organizational capacity and the leadership qualities emerging from the subnational level are a great opportunity for the university students and lecturers to exploit. The direct and indirect contribution toward the sustainability issues by the local communities is immense. They may be unaware of their exact contribution, but it is immeasurable.

Apart from that, the national level organizations—the Ministries and Departments of the country—have another significant contribution to extend. They are the policy makers and the policy implementers. To achieve the expected outcomes of the Social Work activities, a positive intervention of the government institutions is critical. So, the success or failure of them directly has a direct impact on society. The universities, in this context, should deliver the best practices with best-fit policies to strengthen the society.

In Global South, the universities are mainly funded by the respective governments. In many cases, the higher and tertiary education has become a part of social welfarism. The finances allocated should not be a burden to the national economy but an investment. Since the universities are publicly funded, the social workers are accountable to the society and its people. The international organizations [IOs], the International nongovernmental organizations [INGOs], and nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] have to extend the timely support to all the social workers to achieve the sustainability goals of each country. Through the respective mechanisms, these international institutions and organizations representing Global North can extend their commitment through finances, training, exchange programs, research and development activities, and consultancy to improve the present situation of the Global South.

The analysis of the structural elements of society has proved that the personal issues and social problems are on the rise. Even though the world boasts of development using numerous indicators, the life of the clients and the social worker is getting complicated. The challenges posed by uneven development in the globalized world have spread its tentacles in every sphere. Based on the new developments in the postmodern social realm, the problems the social workers have to cope with are also getting increased. As the challenges are anew, the social workers should be trained using updated curricula and novel training methods. The traditional leadership styles the youth leaders or social workers have developed in relation to their own social contexts are becoming invalid at present. The theoretical approaches also should have to be revised based on the contemporary developments.

3.3 Promoting leadership through university curricula

Leadership had been identified in Social Work as a prominent element and all the social workers in the institution or field should acquire, learn, and develop leadership qualities and skills to serve proper in critical times in the society. Presently, the leadership styles the social workers use could be identified through the human resources management perspective. According to Yukl and Gardner [22], leadership is

“the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” [p. 52].

The leadership qualities of the social worker are learnt through the preliminary sessions he or she attends in classes and later learns, acquires, and develops through the different activities the learner engages in. Both formal and informal learning can take place throughout this learning process. The educational institutes that design the curriculum should take efforts to include the topics and activities to improve the leadership qualities of the learner. The NASW has codified the code of ethics that facilitate the social Work practice [23]. Accordingly, the novices in the social work should study these six core values of Social Work profession. These are the basic guidelines on which the leadership traits are going to be enhanced.

The social workers in the field and even in in-class settings have to solve personal or social problems. Therefore, problem-solving skills, models, and approach are a must for the social worker. In understanding the issues of the people, finding the correct solutions within a short period of time independently, analyzing the pros and cons of the solutions when going to apply in personal or social contexts, and how to conduct the follow-up processes are crucial for a practicing social worker [12]. Out of the numerous skills available in social work literature, the social worker has to have almost all or majority of the skills related to communication, comprehension, critical thinking, problem-solving, presentation, negotiation, planning, resource mobilization, and listening.

Apart from that, the author suggests that the present social worker should be equipped with twenty-first century skills as well. All the stakeholders who belong to social work profession should be educated on these. There are three broad categories as learning skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication), literacy skills (information literacy, media literacy, and technology literacy), and life skills (flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social skills). Learning skills assist the social worker to improve his cognitive abilities to serve better in the present environment. The literacy skills make the social worker use information in a methodical manner while the life skills enable him or her to present his or her personality and its associated characteristics in an impressive way.

3.4 The challenges for professional social work in university curricula

Though many attempts have taken by the universities around the world to promote Social Work study programs through its curricula, still there are so many challenges the discipline, Social Work has to face. The most pressing issue is that many countries do not have a well-established national association to govern and monitor its Social Work processes [6, 12]. Licensing and the accreditation are two other critical concerns [6, 8, 12]. Each and every course or academic program should be accredited by a reputed local institution, and then the practitioners should have the facility to get the licensing for immediate practice after the completion of the full program. In many countries, especially in the global South, these facilities are unavailable [12]. So, the relevant authorities should systematize the profession of social work with due regard. As mentioned earlier in this article, most of the learners prefer the urban areas for learning and research rather than the rural areas. This situation grossly violates the basic principles propagated by the NASW or the IFSW. The fundamental elements such as equity, equality, justice are overlooked by the very profession that is there to safeguard those.

Baikady et al. suggest the importance of a common field work manual for the practitioners [6]. Many authors have expressed their concerns for not having enough and proper field work practice and the necessary feedback from the senior supervisors [12, 24]. The number of hours for bachelors and master’s programs should be decided at the international level and a proper code of conduct for the students, supervisors, and the managers. There should be regular training and evaluation programs for the supervisors in all the fields of practice as well to upgrade the quality of supervision through a higher degree of dedication and commitment [6].

The lack of competent social work educators has been a serious concern in the global South. Most of these either migrate to the Western hemisphere or the better countries within the region [12]. As the Third World countries have financial constraints, the state-sponsored education system is funded with minimum requirements; therefore, the funds for research cannot be found out [6, 12]. As the disciplines register a demand in the job market the Third World countries, these subjects become vulnerable to commercial aspirations [6]. Social Work also affected by that syndrome. This may be one of the reasons why Social Work does not display its actual development within the global South. Even though most freshers spend a lot of money to get a qualification, lack of accreditation, licensing, and inability to find an exact job in the job market have impacted negatively on the propagation of Social Work.

Social work at present is mainly geared toward nothing but social development [13]. The social work curriculum has been designed to make that all the stakeholders who involve in Social Work profession should take all the academic and practical initiatives to achieve the SDGs. “Development” and “sustainability” may differ from country to country, and each country may perceive development differently. According to the dire need at present, one country may presume development to be in economic terms while another country may want to achieve political development. Under any circumstance, the sustainable development would definitely bring similar sentiments to all the countries alike. As for the UN’s 17 SDGs, all the countries in the world would attempt to reach all the goals with due respects.

Social Work and social workers in all the countries in all the regions have a greater role to play. How SWE could supplement the SDGs is different from country to country. Finally, all the countries would achieve the similar conditions but how each country gets there is a different strategy. After going through the empirical literature in an in-depth manner, it is noted that many writers have discussed the positives and negatives of the different ways and means the different countries are using to reach and sustain the SDGs [2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 14, 24, 25]. In summary, all these different methods are used to get the best out of the social workers to improve the situation of each society. The following examples are a testimony to understand that there is no one specific method and each country has to learn from all till it finds out what is most suitable for it.

In supplementing the SDGs, the social work students are made to get in to creative methods in and out of the classroom to perceive social and personal issues in a novel way [4], but the teacher/lecturer should have an immense capacity to set these creative opportunities in class and society. The Southern and Eastern African experience described by Mel et al. [5] provides a better picture even though there are many limitations. According to them, the developmental social work approach has provided ample opportunities for lecturers and the students who have utilized to a greater extent. Dziro examines how Zimbabwean social work has moved from a remedial approach to a development-oriented social work training even though it loses its much valued human resources to neighboring countries and the West [11]. Onyiko et al. are in the opinion that there are professional gaps that should be filled by the authorities and a more systematic approach by the professionals with well-compiled curricula can draw toward its research-based practices to the ultimate target [12].

Minzhanov et al. discuss how role plays could be utilized to empower the young social workers in the country. They have seen the curricula and the practical contexts rely on professional training through student-centered approach [14]. According to the article, a multitude of skills can be developed using role plays. Simulation-based learning [24, 25] has been another result-oriented strategy. The lecturer can create many opportunities and contexts to the learners so that they get trained to work out successfully through these imaginary situations. The unending issues for social work profession have been discussed by Faruque and Ahmmed in a detailed manner [2]. According to them the world is unable to have a unique social development model because of the cultural differences that exist in the world. On the other hand, Papouli is optimistic about the field learning. For him the practitioners can integrate both formal and informal learning in respective field work settings [3].

4. Social work education and sustainable development goals

4.1 Social work and the SDGs in global North and South

When perusing the literature relevant to the university curricula in SWE, it was understood that there had been a remarkable difference between the developed and the developing world. Some articles were written by native scholars and some were by non-native scholars. Yet, none of them deny the inequality in resources, practices, and the curriculum structure between these two main spheres of the world. It has been a perennial question that whether the implementation of a common global standard is a myth or reality. The information was so diverse that Social Work as a discipline fluctuates between international or national and global or local. Many scholars hold the view that Ameri-centric or Euro-centric Social Work has dominated the entire world [2, 12]. One common notion is that Social Work as an autonomous discipline has not been able to address the diversity and uniqueness of different social systems of global South.

Onyiko et al. comment that the indigenous cultural traits of Kenya have been marginalized by the Euro-centric mainstream social work [12]. It was convinced that what is not native is thrust upon on local learners and practitioners. In many instances Social Work has been considered a lucrative discipline as it is emerging as a new trend, so most of the Social Work learners are conducting their research and field training in urban areas. Therefore, the adjustment to the rural communities and their problems are not easy. As the new Social Work practitioners are unfamiliar with local knowledge, they are unable to work with local communities making them “misfits” in their field placements [12].

The Swedish experience narrated by Wolmesjö is a remarkable example in the developed context how a well-experienced practitioner could rehearse new strategies. The intellectual environment to conduct novel experiments is there, and the learners are ready to engage in new techniques to integrate the Social Work knowledge [4]. The peaceful nature of the society and the forward-looking community is an added advantage. The comparison between the Indian and Australian environments portrays two opposing pictures. Australian context is ahead of the times [17], but the Indian society’s catching up with new developments is a considerable achievement [6]. Even though the Indian institutes have had too many strides forward, those have to systematize their contents and the delivery further. Dziro’s Zimbabwean account highlights the inadequacy of the existing curriculum and how effective the instability of social institutions on the discipline [11].

Mel has been conducting Social Work research extensively in the African context and published many articles and books to date [5, 13]. The findings denote that there is a remarkable progress against many difficulties. In Southern and East African contexts, the social workers have been fully committed, but the best practices are yet to come. The article highlights the issues related to physical, human, and intellectual constraints [5]. The lack of a database to restore indigenous literature, intra-national and international collaboration, multidisciplinary approach, and developing a fully-fledged curriculum are the dire needs for some of the African countries [13].

A positive image can be visualized when reading the Kazakhstan experience in which the researchers proclaim that there is a constructive approach by understanding the shortcomings exist in the field of Social Work [14]. Canavera et al. present both the advantages and the disadvantages the SWE is experiencing in the West African region [26]. While some countries have made significant progresses, some others are still to improve their situation. The common shortcomings in the SWE programs are lack of uniformity in SWE programs, unclear job descriptions and legal frameworks, improper training programs, and inadequate local relevance in curricula.

5. Conclusion

In concluding the chapter, it could be noted that there are many inequalities related to social work between the global North and global South. Most of these inequalities are borne within, whereas many are the results of historical, political, economic, and cultural factors. Western colonialism and globalization have gifted many issues to global South and the respective governments and the bureaucrats have not been able to find out an -ism that suits their own societies. While it is true that globalization is irreversible, the local cultures could attempt to figure out a better solution for their issues. All the articles perused for this chapter have not shown a clear picture regarding a better future. So the following suggestions would be made to strengthen the university curricular to achieve the SDGs of the societies of global South.

First, to empower the teaching and learning context, the inter-university student, lecturer exchange programs should be commenced through local, regional, and global level. The national Social Work associations could be the main actor for arriving at a proper understanding between or among the institutes that offer Social Work study programs. Lecturers of the global South need collaborative learning and research opportunities with the lecturers and trainers who have wider experiences about global North and South. A constructive and fully fledged intervention is expected from the international institutions, INGOs, and NGOs who could assist the social work studies by providing research funds, grants for field work, assistance for publications and conferences for these institutes. There should be opportunities for industry-university partnerships so that the lecturers and students can have more opportunities to work in different fields of practice.

It has been understood that most of the Third World governments and the top-level bureaucrats have not extended their support to these educational institutes to realize the full potential of the Social Work to upgrade the lives of their people. One way to redeem the existing situation is to empower the local professional associations. The necessary physical and human resources should be provided to achieve their respective objectives. The universities and the other institutes should develop client-friendly, all-inclusive SWE through the university curricula to achieve the SDGs in a cost-effective manner. The public and private sector institutes and organizations should generate the respective employments in each field so that the properly trained Social Work graduates should not get stranded in the job market. In summary, a new international social work curriculum that can cater to the changing needs could produce a new international social worker for a better tomorrow.

Conflict of interest

The author expresses that there are no conflicts of interest regarding this work.