The Role of Social Work in Addressing African and Middle Eastern Challenges

Social work in Africa and the Middle East carries a distinct history shaped by colonialism, cultural traditions, and contemporary struggles with poverty and inequality. Understanding how social work evolved in these regions reveals not just a professional timeline, but a story of resilience, adaptation, and the ongoing pursuit of social justice. Today, social workers across both regions navigate complex challenges while working to transform communities and empower vulnerable populations.

Where history and practice meet 🔗

The origins of professional social work in Africa and the Middle East are deeply intertwined with colonial influence. Social work as a formal profession emerged between 1920 and 1950, introduced primarily by European and American missionaries and colonial governments. The first social work program in Africa was established in South Africa in 1924, followed by Egypt in 1935.

However, this colonial introduction created a fundamental tension. Before professional social work arrived, indigenous social support systems centered on family, community, spirituality, and environmental co-existence had existed for centuries. These traditional approaches emphasized collective responsibility and ubuntu philosophy, where community members ensured welfare and protection for vulnerable individuals. Colonial social work, by contrast, imposed Western models that often served the interests of white settlers rather than indigenous populations, focusing primarily on urban areas while neglecting widespread poverty.

In the Middle East, countries have an 80-year history with social work based on colonial, imported models of practice. The profession’s development coincided with the struggle for independence and the end of colonialism. Social welfare programs initially focused on health and education, consumption subsidies, and public employment, with most government ministries for social services established by the 1960s.

From colonial legacies to rights-based approaches 🔗

The transformation from colonial welfare models to rights-based social development marks a significant shift in how social workers conceptualize and address social problems. This evolution represents more than a change in methods; it reflects a fundamental reimagining of the relationship between citizens, their governments, and social justice.

Rethinking social problems as rights violations 🔗

Rights-based social work enables practitioners to mainstream issues as rights infringement concerns rather than merely social problems. This framework allows social workers to view poverty and gender violence as human rights violations demanding justice and accountability, rather than inevitable social issues. By reframing problems as violations of economic, social, and cultural rights, practitioners can demand explanations and accountability from those in power.

However, implementing rights-based approaches faces significant challenges. Studies reveal inadequacies in professional social work education regarding rights-based approaches, particularly in equipping students with the knowledge and skills to apply this framework effectively in practice. Field experience and practical application remain crucial for developing competency in rights-based social work.

The ongoing decolonization of social work 🔗

Both regions continue working toward what scholars call “developmental social work,” a phase that borrows from both indigenous and professional approaches. This developmental approach seeks to address poverty while ensuring both rural and urban populations have their social needs met through just processes. Professionals are increasingly incorporating indigenous practices alongside international best practices that avoid neo-colonial patterns.

The debate around indigenization remains active, particularly regarding Islamic reorientation of social work in the Middle East. This reflects efforts to align professional practice with local cultural values and traditions while maintaining professional standards and effectiveness.

Confronting shared challenges across diverse societies 🔗

Despite their geographic and cultural differences, Africa and the Middle East face remarkably similar social challenges that demand social work intervention: poverty, corruption, and inequality.

The poverty crisis 🔗

Poverty remains widespread across both regions. Recent research indicates that about 250 million people out of 400 million across Arab countries, or two-thirds of the population, were classified as poor or vulnerable. The situation is equally dire in Africa, where poverty is primarily a rural phenomenon, with some countries seeing 70% of their poor population living in rural areas.

The Middle East and North Africa face increasing economic pressure and instability, yet governments often fail to respond effectively with comprehensive social protection programs. Targeted approaches frequently exclude eligible people due to inaccurate data, application barriers, and corruption.

The corruption factor 🔗

Informal practices and corruption entrench social and economic inequalities, particularly affecting women, refugees, and minority groups who are excluded from influential networks. When access to public services depends on identity-based favoritism, entire segments of society face systematic disadvantage. This exclusion limits upward mobility and can fuel social unrest.

In Africa, corruption persists across government and various sectors, with inadequate service provision partly attributed to widespread corruption by those entrusted with public authority. This creates a vicious cycle where corruption undermines development efforts and perpetuates poverty.

Inequality as a structural problem 🔗

The Middle East and North Africa region is characterized by severe inequality, with profound consequences for economic growth, social cohesion, and political stability. Half of total income goes to the top 10%, while the bottom half receives only 11%. The region faces extreme inequality levels that allow small, corrupt political classes to live at the expense of the majority.

Inequality affects virtually every sector of life, including the rural-urban divide, gender, income, and ethnicity. It’s a deeply engrained structural problem rather than a fleeting result of short-term economic stress. This creates dual societies where some access quality private services while others can only access inadequate public services.

Looking ahead: Contributions to social work’s evolution 🔗

The evolution of social work in Africa and the Middle East continues to shape the profession globally. Both regions contribute valuable insights into adapting professional practice to local contexts while maintaining commitment to social justice and human rights.

Key contributions include developing models for integrating indigenous knowledge with professional practice, pioneering rights-based approaches in contexts of extreme inequality, and creating innovative responses to challenges like mass poverty and political instability. Social workers in these regions demonstrate how professional practice can remain relevant and effective even in environments marked by limited resources, political challenges, and deep-seated structural inequalities.

The journey from colonial welfare models to contemporary developmental social work reflects broader questions about what constitutes effective, culturally appropriate social work. As both regions continue addressing poverty, corruption, and inequality, their experiences offer crucial lessons for social work worldwide about resilience, adaptation, and the ongoing pursuit of social justice in challenging circumstances.

What do you think? How can social work education better prepare practitioners to address the intersection of poverty, corruption, and inequality in resource-limited settings? What role should indigenous knowledge systems play in shaping contemporary social work practice in diverse cultural contexts?

References

1. https://africasocialwork.net/information-about-social-work-in-africa/
2. https://www.socialworkin.com/2023/08/the-history-of-social-work-in-africa.html
3. https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-569
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340943947_Applying_a_Rights-Based_Approach_to_Social_Work_Practice_in_Africa_Students'_Perspectives
5. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/why-mass-poverty-so-dangerous-middle-east/
6. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/14/middle-east-and-north-africa-embrace-social-protection-all
7. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutional-economics/article/corruption-and-informal-practices-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-a-pooled-crosssectional-analysis/426AE399EE92EECBCBE972BAFD675FE9
8. https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2024/02/economic-injustice-is-anchoring-itself-in-the-arab-world?lang=en
9. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2020/04/inequality-and-its-discontents-in-the-middle-east?lang=en&center=middle-east