CASWE-ACFTS Annual Conference 2020 

Raising colonial consciousness: Engaging students, practitioners and social work educators together in (un)learning and humanizing child welfare practices

date: 5/30/2023 - 6/5/2020

speakers: Nancy Freymond, Marilee Sherry, Cheryl Elbers, Andrew Koster, Joanne Ebear, Julia Harkness

abstract:

This panel is comprised of settler educators with lived child welfare experience who co-facilitate an undergraduate child welfare social work course. This project aims to bridge the divide between the field of child welfare and the social work academy. The realities articulated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the urgent need to respond to the calls for action are our catalyst for coming together to raise consciousness about the taken-for-granted colonial thinking that underpins and justifies everyday child welfare practices. In the first segment of our discussion, we draw on the theoretical framework of Paulo Freire’s critical consciousness raising and the processes of reflexive autoethnographic collaborative methodology to discuss the ongoing work of interrogating our situatedness and lived experiences of child welfare systems. The primary purpose of this work is to open our eyes and ears to the colonial codes deeply embedded in child welfare systems and in our thinking patterns. We discuss the outcomes and findings of this process to date and their importance for facilitating (un)learning and bringing humanity to child welfare practices.  

In the second segment, we focus on our (un)learning experiences inside a child welfare classroom shared by students, child welfare workers and social work faculty.  One of the goals of this course is to explore how child welfare systems impact people who are receiving and providing services. It seeks to honour their perspectives and stories of lived experiences. We share some pedagogical tools and strategies that help us to soften our judgements about child welfare families and workers, strengthen our level of colonial consciousness, expand our collective commitment to challenging injustices, and instill hope that child welfare transformation is possible. Additionally, we discuss the ups and downs of our collaboration, and lessons learned so far.  This panel discussion is designed to be interactive in nature and caters to those who are interested in child welfare teaching and learning, research and practice.