Indigenization Discourse in Social Work

This contributed volume provides an in-depth understanding of contemporary debates, discussions and insights on Indigenous social work theory, education and practice across the globe. Based on theoretical and empirical perspectives, authors collectively contribute to a comprehensive, critical and up-to-date discussion about Indigenous social work theories, decolonization of social work education, Indigenous social work curriculum, Indigenous social work practice, and cultural perspectives towards enhancing Indigenous social work education and practice.

• Critical insights into the historical evolution of Indigenous social work;
• Global debates on the westernization and indigenization of social work education;
• An overview of Indigenous social work and its practice in diverse cultural contexts;
• Critical perspective of Indigenous social work education; and
• Coverage of a diverse range of geographical areas.

Indigenization Discourse in Social Work: International Perspectives is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, independent researchers, academicians, policymakers and practitioners who are working in the field of social work, especially those who are interested in Indigenous social work issues. Moreover, it is an invaluable text for students, scholars and academicians who are interested in international social work with a special focus on Indigenous social work. In addition, students and scholars in sociology, development studies, public policy and economics working with Indigenous people and who are interested in Indigenous studies will find this book useful as an interdisciplinary reference.

Koustab Majumdar, MPhil, PhD, is associated with Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (Deemed to be University, Ranchi campus, India). He is also a Visiting Scholar at International Center for Cultural Studies (ICSS), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Taiwan. Dr. Majumdar was awarded with Taiwan Fellowship (2023) by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), China (Taiwan) to conduct his post-doctoral research on Comparative Indigenous Social Welfare Policy at ICSS_NYCU. He worked as a research associate at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and RKMVERI. Dr. Majumdar became the recipient of tuition fee scholarship (2019) to attend Chula Right Livelihood Summer School (Chulalongkorn University), Bangkok, Thailand. He has been associated with many international journals as a reviewer. Majumdar’s research interests include agrarian change, environmental education, social work education, international social work, social welfare policies, rural and tribal livelihood and participatory re-search. He is also a member of a number of international bodies such as - Development Studies Association, UK, Canada, India Research Centre for Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), University of Guelph, Canada, International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD), UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab.

Rajendra Baikady, PhD, FRSA is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work, at the Central University of Kerala, India.  He was a Special Post-Doctoral Fellow and Assistant Lecturer at the Department of the Social Work University of Johannesburg, South Africa during the aca-demic year 2020-2022. In addition to this, Baikady is Principal Investigator (Summer Research Fellowship) at International Socioeconomic Laboratory, Harvard University, United States, and a Research Associate at the Water Policy Center in India. He completed his first Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the He-brew University of Jerusalem, Israel (2019-2020), and was awarded Golda Meir Fellowship by Lady Davis Trust at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was also a recipient of the Taiwan Government’s Short Term Research Award (2018) for academic research at National Chengchi University, Taiwan, and the Confucius Institute Understanding China Fellowship by the Government of China (2018-2019) for academic research at Shandong University, China. He has wide research experience in evaluating best practices of social work education and practice in both local and global contexts. Dr. Baikady is also affiliated with the Department of Social Work and Community Development, University of Johannesburg, South Africa as Senior Research Associate and The Harriet Tubman Institute, York University, Canada as Faculty Fellow. Dr. Baikady is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Discover Global Society published by Springer, London.

Ashok Antony D’Souza, PhD is Professor and Chairperson at the Department of Studies andResearch in Social Work, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. He is a person with a deep passion for teaching and research. His multidisciplinary outlook – obtained primarily from his post-graduate degrees in Philosophy, Social Work, Commerce and Management – has enabled him to strive for meaningful integration of methodologies and knowledge streams in social work education, research and extension initiatives. He has completed five research projects, authored four books, edited five books and has published over forty research papers in national and inter-national journals. Dr. D’Souza works closely with students, especially in finding more meaningful ways of engaging with vulnerable communities such as Indigenous people and other population groups facing difficult circumstances. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of two journals and has been serving as the chairperson on various academic bodies.