9 A global perspective
-
Mark Henrickson
Abstract
Social care has been a common feature of societies around the world for millennia. Each society and culture has developed ways of working with the poor, the sick, and the marginalised largely shaped by its own religious, spiritual, or cultural beliefs. This chapter briefly considers social care in Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Shintō, indigenous African, and other indigenous cultures. In most of the world, relational values dominate, although Western values of individualism have been imposed in many of these cultures through a history of trade, colonisation, and missionisation. One of the challenges to Western social work is to become aware of how profoundly its values have been shaped by Christian values and Western epistemologies. That awareness can help shape genuine respect for other cultural assumptions and approaches. Contemporary global discussions about a global future for social work will not be about social care and social work as much as they will be about the fundamental beliefs and values of each culture and finding common ground.
Abstract
Social care has been a common feature of societies around the world for millennia. Each society and culture has developed ways of working with the poor, the sick, and the marginalised largely shaped by its own religious, spiritual, or cultural beliefs. This chapter briefly considers social care in Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Shintō, indigenous African, and other indigenous cultures. In most of the world, relational values dominate, although Western values of individualism have been imposed in many of these cultures through a history of trade, colonisation, and missionisation. One of the challenges to Western social work is to become aware of how profoundly its values have been shaped by Christian values and Western epistemologies. That awareness can help shape genuine respect for other cultural assumptions and approaches. Contemporary global discussions about a global future for social work will not be about social care and social work as much as they will be about the fundamental beliefs and values of each culture and finding common ground.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- Acknowledgements xi
- Introduction 1
- A royal responsibility 18
- Inventing the poor 42
- Reforming the poor 67
- Capitalising the poor 94
- Industrialising the poor 121
- Liberalising the poor 154
- Professionalising work with the poor 180
- A global perspective 198
- Creating a global future 214
- References 224
- Index 246
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- Acknowledgements xi
- Introduction 1
- A royal responsibility 18
- Inventing the poor 42
- Reforming the poor 67
- Capitalising the poor 94
- Industrialising the poor 121
- Liberalising the poor 154
- Professionalising work with the poor 180
- A global perspective 198
- Creating a global future 214
- References 224
- Index 246
