The study found that the level of political social work practice in Zimbabwe is very low. The study also identified a number of opportunities for political social work practice in Zimbabwe, such as professional recognition and relevance, employment opportunities for social workers, ethical policy and the growth of democracy.
Background of the study
Political social work practice therefore stems from ethical ethical rules for the profession of social work. The political arena becomes an environment within which political social work practice can be realized with impact.
Statement of the problem
It is according to this argument that this study seeks to examine opportunities and challenges for political social work in Zimbabwe, focusing on implications for practice.
Justification…
The study is worth researching because it is the first academic work that explores the opportunities and threats to political social work practice in Zimbabwe. Building on these previous studies, the research will focus on the opportunities and threats to political social work practice in Zimbabwe.
Aim
The extracts above are a clear indication of the level of political social work practice in Zimbabwe.
Objectives
Definition of terms
Summary
Theoretical Framework
Theory allows the realization of opportunities and challenges for social political work and its implications in practice. Theory informs the practice of political social work in Zimbabwe by providing the framework that practitioners can use in the struggle for a just society.
General Overview
Gaha (1999) notes that in the recent past the political aspect of social work practice has been expressed in the discourse on human rights. Political discourse in social work therefore refers to social workers becoming aware of and learning to participate in political processes.
Level of political social work practice
In this case, it can be concluded that social work in New Zealand is an ideological political enterprise. In South Africa, Gray et al (2002) examined the level of political social work and concluded that independence from the apartheid government resulted in greater participation of social workers.
Opportunities for political social work practice
The practice of political social work also increases the participation of both social workers and the vulnerable populations for whom they work (Lane and Pritzer, 2018). Mary (2001) also alludes to the opportunities offered by political social work practice in political struggles on behalf of represented groups. In Zimbabwe, Muchanyarei (2017) insinuates that political social work will change the fate of the profession in the country in terms of recognition.
Challenges for political social work practice
Donors who fund agencies that employ social workers may also see political social work as having nothing to do with what they want to achieve. Individual social workers are often at a loss as to whether they are equipped with the tools for good policy analysis, with little incentive to articulate or develop it. In societies like Zimbabwe, where politics is polarized, it is almost impossible for social workers working for NGOs to engage in political social work.
Strategies to improve political social work practice
The study found that the level of political social work in Zimbabwe is very low. The findings of the study indicated that political social work faces a number of challenges in Zimbabwe. The survey has revealed that the level of political social work in Zimbabwe is very low.
Chapter summary
Research approach
This method enables valid and well-validated conclusions about the practice of political social work as a phenomenon under study. This will be applicable in determining the levels of political social work practice, opportunities and. Data analysis is based on the values these participants perceive and understand the practice of political social work in Zimbabwe.
Study Setting
Target population
According to the NASWZ register, the meeting was attended by 65 qualified social workers with a minimum qualification of a bachelor's degree in Social Work. Inclusion in the study was based on holding a degree in Social Work and being an active member of the NASWZ. The researcher excluded the students who attended the meeting because they were not yet considered full members of the association and were not practicing social workers.
Sample size and sampling strategy
According to Kulshreshtha (2013) a census sample has the advantages of covering the entire population and reducing non-sampling errors. The researcher also further selected 6 other participants as key informants based on their experience as social workers or based on their interaction with social workers in the following categories: an MP (to find out how politicians consider social work political) , a senior social work lecturer (PhD) member (to get the academic perspective of political social work), an activist social worker (to get practical experience of political social work), 2 directors from the department of social welfare services and from a non-profit organization (to obtain the experiences of leaders of social welfare organizations), and a representative from the Human Rights Group (to obtain information on social workers' contributions to activism). These key informants were selected after considering the richness of their contribution to the practice of political social work in Zimbabwe due to their proximity to social workers.
Data collection methods and tools
Survey
Due to time constraints, the researcher did not want to go into the field on separate trips for qualitative and qualitative data. Each of the first three research objectives had a specific set of closed questions followed by at least one open question for each or set, and the fourth objective was qualitative. These sets of quantitative questions featured an unrestricted comment field, allowing the respondent to express an in-depth view of each objective.
Key informant interviews
Data analysis plan
The findings were also compared with the viewpoints of key informants, whose expertise and critical views would enable them to shed more light on the understanding and interpretation of the findings.
Feasibility of the study
Ethical considerations
- Permission to conduct the study
- Respect for persons as autonomous individuals
- Avoiding harm
- Confidentiality
- Informed consent
Collins English Dictionary defines choice as “the act or instance of choosing or selecting; the possibility or the power of choice”. In this study, it was ensured that the respondents gave consent to participate in the study. At the end of the explanation, respondents were asked to sign a written consent (see Appendix C for the consent form).
Limitations of the study
They were allowed to ask questions for clarification and the researcher made all their concerns clear. The investigator also made sure that the purpose and objectives of the investigation were clear and unquestionable, so as to prevent the suspect from being suspected of referring to explicit party politics. This made the research expensive and demanding, and therefore limited entitlement to time for both the researcher and the respondents.
Chapter summary
Do you see the following as challenges for political social work in Zimbabwe.
Demographic characteristics of respondents
Level of political social work practice in Zimbabwe
- Voting, organizing and encouraging client to vote, and running for public
- Participation in local issues and engaging legislators on policy
- Social action and participation in pressure groups (political activism)
- Relationship between respondents’ characteristics and political social work practice
This means that the level of political social work practices in Zimbabwe is low as it is rated at 25%. One of the political social work activities that social workers scored high at 72% was when asked if they participate in local issues that affect people. There is no relationship between the respondents' experience with their level of political social work practice.
Opportunities for political social work
- Professional recognition, power and relevance
- Employment opportunities for social workers
- Ethical politics, increased democratic environment and increased respect for human
- Relationship between social workers and politicians
The survey found that 100% of respondents agreed that professional recognition is an opportunity for political social work practice in Zimbabwe. The survey shows that 70% of respondents (35/50) believe that political social work will create employment opportunities for social workers. The research has also shown that a better relationship between social workers and politicians does not provide an opportunity for the practice of political social work.
Challenges for political social work practice
Ideological dilemma and stigmatisation of the profession
Prohibitions at work
Workplace bans were also cited as a challenge to political social work in Zimbabwe with a score of 94% (47 respondents). Some of us are not employed by the government and we are one of the few organizations that exposes the rot in the country in a way that qualifies to be called political social work. In light of this situation, most organizations that employ social workers may therefore ban them from political social work practice.
Lack of political social work skills and weak professional bodies
There is a need for political social work workshops to impart the necessary skills to practicing social workers in Zimbabwe. What strategies should social workers in Zimbabwe implement to improve the political practice of social work in Zimbabwe. What strategies can be implemented to promote the practice of political social work in Zimbabwe.
Strategies to improve political social work practice in Zimbabwe
Review of the social work curriculum to include political social work
There is general agreement among respondents that the political content of the social work profession as it currently exists is inadequate. There is an urgent need to review our curriculum and prepare a module for the practice of political social work, a domain where issues of social policy and political participation are studied at length and in depth. The first step to improving the practice of political social work is to revise the curriculum to seriously include political social work as a subject and area of specialization.
Bringing social workers together and creating a strong National Association of
Without unity, the profession suffers from multiple voices, which is dangerous for the practice of political social work. A weak NASWZ was identified as one of the challenges of political social work practice in Zimbabwe, with 96% of respondents agreeing. Structural social work theory subtly supports the idea of winning advocates through calling the moral point of social workers (Weinberg, 2008).
Benchmarking tours
This means that the message from NASW should throw social workers into ethical conundrums, where non-membership creates a psychological ethical quandary. However, this includes the rationale to contextualize the political practice of social work in Zimbabwe, taking into account the variation in levels of democracy and political tolerance.
Social workers must run for political office and or work for politicians…
This is different from the situation in Zimbabwe, where 54% of social workers only indicated an interest in running for public office, but did not actually do so. Mmatli (2008) notes that the majority of social work clients lack access to basic human rights employment, health services, education, clean water and food and therefore these people need political representation. This therefore means that political social work practice becomes easy and social workers themselves run for political positions such as councillors, members of parliament, senators, among other influential positions in society.
Participation in community pressure groups
As professionals, social workers must offer their expertise and translate social problems into policy issues before we take them to the streets. The call for social workers to engage in social action is clear and loud enough for any social worker to miss. Participating in activism is therefore a great way to make an impact as social workers and to perfect political social work in Zimbabwe.
Chapter summary
Summary
The previous chapter presented, interpreted and analyzed data findings on opportunities and challenges of political social work practice in Zimbabwe. These are the challenges that must be addressed to provide for political social work practice. However, the study indicated that the process of overcoming these challenges is ironically essentially the practice of political social work practice.
Conclusions
Recommendations
The study recommends that professional networks should be created to facilitate the exchange of experience in political social work practice in Zimbabwe. The study also recommends that more social workers should obtain social work education up to the doctoral level. Schools of social work in Zimbabwe therefore need to train more doctoral students and focus on researching political social work practice.
Chapter summary
I am conducting a study entitled: Opportunities and Challenges for Political Social Work in Zimbabwe: Implications for Practice.
