Group support for transformational social work education: a study of the Black Academics Forum (BAF)

Prospera Tedam; Gurbax Matoo; Irine Mano; Sukhwinder Singh

doi:10.1921/gpwk.v25i2.892

Authors

Prospera Tedam University of Northampton
Gurbax Matoo University of Northampton
Irine Mano University of Northampton
Sukhwinder Singh University of Northampton

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v25i2.892

Abstract

The importance of formal and informal support for professional social workers cannot be overemphasised and this is true for social work academics who view themselves as belonging to minority groups. This paper outlines the development of the Black Academics Forum (BAF) within the Division of Social Work at the University of Northampton as a strategy to transform social work education for students, its members and ultimately for users of social work services. The benefits of BAF are considered within the context of feeling ‘lost inside space’ and providing a forum to self define whilst drawing upon the values of belonging, acceptance and trust. The challenges and limitations are considered alongside aspirations for the future of the group.

Author Biographies

Prospera Tedam, University of Northampton

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

Gurbax Matoo, University of Northampton

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

Irine Mano, University of Northampton

Lecturer in Social Work

Sukhwinder Singh, University of Northampton

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

References

Ahmad, B. (1990) Black Perspectives in Social Work. Birmingham: Venture Press

Ahmed, S. (2012) On Being Included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Durham, NC: Duke University Press

Banks, N. (1999) White Counsellors – Black Clients: Theory, research and practice. Aldershot: Ashgate

Bartoli, A (2013) Padare: A meeting around a tree. in A. Bartoli (Ed.) Anti-racism in Social Work Practice. St Albans: Critical Publishing (pp.66-82)

Bartoli, A., Kennedy, S. and Tedam, P. (2008) Practice learning: Who is failing to adjust? Black African student experience of practice learning in a social work setting. Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Work, 8, 2, 75-90

Bell, M.P., Özbilgin, M., Beauregard, T.A. and Surgevil, O. (2011) Voice, silence, and diversity in 21st century organizations: Strategies for inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees. Human Resource Management, 50, 1, 131-146

Benson, J. (2010) Working More Creatively With Groups. Abingdon: Routledge

Berg, K.K. and Simon, S.R. (2013) Developing a White anti-racism identity: A psycho-educational group model. Groupwork, 23, 1, 7-33

Bhatti-Sinclair, K. (2011) Anti-Racist Practice in Social Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave

Bhopal, K. (2014) The Experiences of BME Academic Staff in Higher Education: Aspirations in the face of inequality. London: Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

Bhopal, K. and Jackson, J. (2013) The Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Academics: Multiple identities and career progression. Southampton: University of Southampton

Bloch, A. & Solomos, J. (2010) Race and Ethnicity in Britain: Into the 21st Century. in A. Bloch, & J. Solomos (Eds.) Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (pp.209-231)

Bloch, A., Neal, S. & Solomos, J. (2013) Race, Multiculture and Social Policy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Bouhnik, D. and Deshen, M. (2014) WhatsApp goes to school: mobile instant messaging between teachers and students. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 13, 217-231

Bourdieu, P. (2000) For a Scholarship with Commitment, Profession, (Modern Language Association), [ Accessed 12th January 2014 at http://jstor.org/stable/25595701] ( pp.40-45)

Brah, A. (1996) Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting identities. London: Routledge

Brah, A. (2005) Difference, diversity and differentiation, in J. Donald and A. Rattansi (Eds.) ‘Race’, Culture and Difference. 3rd edition. London: Sage (pp.126-148)

Brown, R.W. (2009) Perceived influence of African American male mentorship on the academic success of African American males in a predominantly White institution of higher education: an institutional case study. National Forum of Multicultural Issues Journal, 6, 1, 1-13

Brown, A. and Mistry, T. (2006) Group work with mixed membership groups: Issues of race and gender. Social Work with Groups, 28, 3-4, 133-148

Bryan, A. (2001) Black on black encounters: exploring some psychological and political processes among black professionals and students in black-only support groups. Journal of Social Work Practice, 15, 1, 23-35

Connor, C. and Pokora, J. (2012) Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing effective practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press

Coulshed, V. and Orme, J. (2006) Social Work Practice. 4th edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Craig, G., Atkin, K., Chattoo, S. & Flynn, R. (2012), Endnote, in G. Craig, K. Atkin, S. Chattoo, & R. Flynn (Eds.) Understanding ‘Race’ and Ethnicity. Bristol: Policy Press (pp. 247-252)

Doel, M. (2000) Groupwork. in M. Davies (Ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Groupwork. Oxford: Blackwell (pp.148-149)

Doel, M. and Shardlow, S. (2005) Modern Social Work Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate

Drumm, K. (2008) The essential power of group work. Social Work with Groups, 29, 2-3, 17-31

Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Gitterman, A. (2005) Building mutual support groups. Social Work with Groups, 28, 3-4, 91-106

Goldstein, B.P. (2008) Black perspectives, in M. Davis (Ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Social Work. 3rd edition. Oxford: Blackwell (pp.515-422)

Graham, M. (2007) Black Issues in Social Work and Social Care. Bristol: Policy Press

Griffith, A.I. (1998) Insider/outsider: Epistemological privilege and mothering work. Human Studies, 21, 361-376

Hall, S. (2000) Who needs ‘identity’? in P. du Gay, J. Evans and P. Redman (Eds.) Identity: A reader. London: Sage (pp.15-30)

Howarth, C., Wagner, W., Magnusson, N. and Sumnat, G. (2014) ‘It’s Only Other People who Make Me Feel Black’ Acculturation, Identity And Agency In a Multicultural Community. Political Psychology, 35, 1, 81 – 92. [Accessed 12 January 2014 at http://www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/138/507]

Husband, C. (2007), Social work in an ethnically diverse Europe: The shifting challenge of difference. Social Work and Society, International Online Journal, 5, 3 [available at: http://www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/138/507]

Inoue, Y., Funk, D.C., Wann, D.L., Yoshida, M.& Nakazawa, M. (2015) Team Identification and Post Disaster Social Well-being: The Mediating Role of Social Support. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 19, 1, 31-44

Lutz,K.F., Hassouneh, D., Akeroyd, J. and Beckett, A.K. (2013) Balancing survival and resistance: experiences of faculty of color in predominantly Euro American schools of nursing. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 6, 2, 127-146

Macpherson, W. (1999) The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. London: HMSO

Matoo, G. (2013) Understanding well-being: Gender and Race. Unpublished paper

Miller, J. and Donner, S. (2008) More than just talk: the Use of racial dialogues to combat racism. Social Work with Groups, 23, 1, 31-53

Mirza, H.S. (2003) ‘All the women are white, all the blacks are men – but some of us are brave’: mapping the consequences of invisibility for black and minority ethnic women in Britain. in D. Mason (Ed.) Explaining Ethnic Differences: Changing patterns of disadvantage in Britain. Bristol: Policy Press (pp.121-138)

Mirza, H. ( 2009) Plotting a History: Black and Post Colonial Feminisms in New Times. Race Ethnicity and Education, 12, 1, 1-10

Mohanty, T.C (1997) Preface: Dangerous territories, territorial power and education. in L.G. Roman and L. Eyre, (Eds.) Dangerous Territories: Struggles for Difference and Equality in Education. London: Routledge (pp.ix-xvii)

NASW (National Association of Social Workers) (2012) The value of social work mentoring. [Accessed 17 November 2014 at http://careers.socialworkers.org/documents/Mentoring.pdf]

Olivier, C. (2009) Enhancing confidentiality within small groups: the experiences of AIDS service organisations. Social Work with Groups, 32, 4, 274-287

Probyn, E. (1996) Outside Belongings. London and New York: Routledge

Singh, G. and Cowden, S. (2010) From ‘anti-racist’ to ‘post-racist’ education: problems and possibilities. in S. Amsler, J.E. Canaan, S. Cowden, S. Motta and G. Singh (Eds.) Why Critical Pedagogy and Popular Education Matter Today. Birmingham: C-SAP ( pp.28-33)

Solomon, B. (1976) Black Empowerment: Social work in oppressed communities. New York: Columbia University Press

Sue, D.W. (2005) Racism and the conspiracy of silence. Counselling Psychologist, 33, 100-114. [Accessed 17 November 2014 at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0011000004270686]

Tedam, P. (2012) The MANDELA model of practice learning: an old present in new wrapping. Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, 11, 2, 19-35

Trevithick, P. (2005) The knowledge base of groupwork and its importance within social work. Groupwork, 15, 2, 80-107

Tuckman, B.W. (1965) Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 6, 384-399

Turner, C. S. V., González, J. C., & Wood, J. L. (2008) Faculty of color in academe: What 20 years of literature tells us. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 1, 139 –168

Vakalahi,H.F.O and Starks,S.H.(2010) The Complexities of Becoming visible: Reflecting on the Stories of Women of Color as Social Work Educators. Affilia. Journal of Women and Social Work, 25, 2, 110-122

Williams, C. (2011) The Jesters Joke. in M. Lavalette (Ed.) Radical Social Work Today: Social work at the crossroads. Bristol, Policy Press ( pp.59-77)

Zayed, A. M. and Kamel, M.M. (2005) Teams and Work Groups. Cairo: Center for Advancement of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Engineering Sciences